Insider Says Browns Have Finally Solved A Long-Running Problem

The job of an NFL kicker is one of the least secure in the league. You might be just one miss away from having to find another team or another career.

Last year, that looked like it was going to be the case for Andre Szmyt. In his NFL debut, the rookie missed an extra point and a field goal that proved to be very costly in the Cleveland Browns’ one-point Week 1 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

There were calls for the Browns to move on after just one game, but the organization decided to stick with him. Szmyt rewarded that confidence with a game-winning field goal in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, and he went on to miss just two more kicks the entire campaign.

That success has continued into this season, as Szymt has been perfect on every attempt so far. That includes a 56-yard field goal that gave Cleveland a 27-24 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night.

That is why insider Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com said Szymt has become “automatic,” which is a huge difference from Browns kickers of the past.

“He’s been automatic. You almost don’t even need to watch him kick at this point. It’s gone from, ‘Do I think the Browns kicker is gonna make this?’ to, ‘Yeah, of course the Browns kicker is gonna make this,'” Labbe said.

Andre Szmyt has become Mr. Automatic. @MaryKayCabot, @AshleyBastock42 & @dan_labbe talked about the #Browns kicker on our latest pod. pic.twitter.com/9CTauXTPTA

— Orange and Brown Talk (@orangebrowntalk) October 3, 2026

Szmyt led the UFL in field goals with St. Louis and was signed to Cleveland’s practice squad in 2024. He beat out Browns incumbent Dustin Hopkins during training camp last year after the veteran made just 66.7 percent of his field goal attempts in the prior season. What made Szmyt’s emergence even more impressive is that he did it while grieving the death of his mother.

After his rough debut, Szmyt finished the 2025 season 24-of-27 in field goal attempts and 25-of-26 in extra points. This year, he is 8-for-8 in field goals and 7-for-7 in extra points, and those 31 points put him just one behind the NFL leaders, Chase McLaughlin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Evan McPherson of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Browns have won three games by less than a touchdown, so there are likely to be many more clutch moments waiting for Szmyt, and he looks to be more than ready for those challenges.