The Cleveland Browns can’t afford to leave points on the field.
That’s why they might need to move on from kicker Dustin Hopkins.
Insider Ashley Bastock recently made a case for the Browns to cut ties with the veteran, although she doesn’t know whether that’ll be the case.
“This is an instance where I think the Browns should move on from Dustin Hopkins,” Bastock said. “But this is one of those things where what I think should happen might wind up being the opposite of what the Browns actually do. They have shown a ton of loyalty to Dustin Hopkins. Not many kickers would have survived the 2024 season that he had.”
Hopkins made more than 90 percent of his kicks in his final year with the Los Angeles Chargers (2022) and first season with the Browns (2023).
Cleveland gave him a three-year, $15.9 million contract extension last offseason, and that is looking like it may have been an expensive mistake.
In 2024, Hopkins missed one-third of his field goal attempts and three extra points. After going 8-for-8 from 50 yards-plus in 2023, he was just 4-for-8 on those long kicks.
He was a constant talking point, which is never a positive sign for a kicker.
Yet, the Browns kept him, although they did replace him briefly toward the end of the season.
He hasn’t looked sharp this preseason either, alternating big kicks with misses.
Cleveland will rely on its defense to get the job done, and scoring opportunities for the offense might be scarce.
That makes the kicker much more important.
So, even if the Browns hold on to Hopkins, they should keep him on a short leash and move on at the first sign of struggle, regardless of the salary cap hit.
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