— In Cleveland’s 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, kicker Andre Szmyt missed two critical attempts, including a go-ahead field goal with 2:25 remaining. The immediate reaction from fans and some teammates homed in on Szmyt’s misses, but the situation reflects a longer chain of front-office decisions and roster instability. The Browns’ special-teams struggles, roster moves and a risky contract choice earlier in the cycle contributed to Sunday’s outcome. The responsibility, several league observers say, runs higher than a single player’s blunder.
Key takeaways
- Andre Szmyt missed two kicks in Cleveland’s 17-16 loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 7, 2025, including a would-be go-ahead field goal with 2:25 left.
- General manager Andrew Berry has overseen frequent turnover at kicker: seven different players at the position during his roughly five-year tenure.
- Veteran Dustin Hopkins made 33 of 36 field goals in 2023, including 8 of 8 from 50-plus yards, then regressed to 18 of 27 (66.7%) in 2024.
- The Browns extended Hopkins to a three-year, $15 million deal with about $8.3 million guaranteed before his 2024 decline; he was waived Aug. 26, 2025, generating nearly $5 million in dead cap over two seasons.
- Szmyt had not previously made an NFL roster and spent 2024 in the UFL; his college accuracy at Syracuse (2021–22) was 72.5%.
- Fans focused on Szmyt’s on-field misses, while critics point to front-office roster construction and risk-taking in personnel decisions as root causes.
Background
The kicking position is unusually volatile in the NFL: accuracy can swing quickly from season to season, and teams often cycle kickers when results dip. In 2023 the Browns acquired Dustin Hopkins via trade and then rewarded him after a standout season — 33 made field goals on 36 attempts, with a perfect 8-for-8 from 50-plus yards — with a three-year extension. That decision rested on one excellent season from a 33-year-old veteran, a peak that is uncommon late in a kicker’s career.
Hopkins’ performance fell back toward his career norms in 2024, when he converted 18 of 27 attempts (66.7%). Because cutting a veteran kicker can create significant dead-cap consequences, Cleveland kept Hopkins through last season and into the offseason while hoping he would regain form. The organization ultimately released Hopkins on Aug. 26, 2025, deciding to move on despite the financial cost.
Enter Andre Szmyt, who had spent 2024 in the United States Football League and never previously made an NFL active roster. The front office elected to give him an opportunity in training camp rather than immediately sign a proven veteran replacement. That approach reflects Cleveland’s recent data-driven personnel strategy but also left the team thin at a high-leverage kicking spot when real-game pressure arrived.
Main event
On Sept. 7, 2025, the Browns and Bengals played a tight divisional game that ended 17-16 in Cincinnati’s favor. Szmyt missed two attempts that swung win probability late: an earlier miss and a critical go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter with 2:25 remaining. Those misses became the dominant narrative on social media and in postgame conversation.
In the immediate postgame window, teammates and staff offered measured public support while attempting to contextualize the misses. Quarterback Joe Flacco and defensive leaders spoke to how the roster would react and support Szmyt, but public statements did not address the roster decisions that placed a relatively inexperienced kicker into that role. The sideline images and social media reaction quickly reduced the complex chain of events to a single scapegoat.
Those on the field who defended Szmyt cited unfamiliarity and pressure as factors. Others inside the organization privately noted the cumulative effect of roster churn at the position and the cost-avoidance calculus that led Cleveland to pass on veteran options earlier in the summer. With the loss complete, attention turned back to the front office and whether the Browns had prioritized cost and outlook over proven reliability at a decisive role.
Analysis & implications
Assigning blame solely to a kicker after one game is an attractive narrative for fans and the media because it simplifies a multilayered problem. But roster construction, scouting choices and financial decisions in 2023–25 materially shaped the environment in which Szmyt was asked to perform. The Hopkins contract — a three-year, $15 million extension with roughly $8.3 million guaranteed — constrained Cleveland’s options and raised the stakes when Hopkins regressed in 2024.
Waiving Hopkins in late August 2025 removed a veteran presence but did not instantly replace it with an experienced alternative. The decision to lean on a younger, cheaper player who had not previously stuck on an NFL roster is defensible as a long-range bet, but it is riskier during a season start when every percentage point in field-goal probabilities can decide games and playoff races.
Practically, the Browns now face a few likely paths: they can stick with Szmyt through early-season games to provide him time to adapt, sign a veteran kicker with a proven track record, or explore short-term stopgaps in the market. Each choice has trade-offs: continuity versus immediate reliability, and salary/roster flexibility versus on-field probability of success. Opponents and analysts will watch how quickly Cleveland acts; indecision could compound public scrutiny and on-field losses.
| Season | Player | FG Made | FG Attempted | FG % | 50+ yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dustin Hopkins | 33 | 36 | 91.7% | 8/8 |
| 2024 | Dustin Hopkins | 18 | 27 | 66.7% | 4/8 |
| 2021–22 | Andre Szmyt (Syracuse) | College combined accuracy | 72.5% | ||
The table highlights how Hopkins’ 2023 season represented a statistical outlier compared with his 2024 decline and how Szmyt’s college accuracy did not project him as an automatic NFL-day starter. Those numbers do not determine future performance, but they clarify the probabilities that front-office decision-makers weighed — or overlooked — when constructing the roster.
Reactions & quotes
Teammates publicly supported Szmyt while acknowledging the sting of the result. Their comments framed the situation as one of support rather than public denunciation.
“I feel like saying something to people in that situation, especially if you don’t know them that well, you don’t know if you’re adding unnecessary pressure. He’s going to make those kicks, and we’re going to be better for it.”
Myles Garrett, Browns edge rusher
The general manager did not offer a definitive roster verdict immediately after the game, a common posture designed to preserve decision latitude during the first week of the season.
“We won’t speculate on personnel moves here in the immediate aftermath; we’ll evaluate all of our options in the days ahead.”
Andrew Berry, Cleveland Browns general manager (paraphrased public response)
Some local analysts urged the team to consider the broader pattern of kicking turnover and past contractual decisions when evaluating Sunday’s result, rather than isolating individual performance as the root cause.
“This is not just about one game or one player — it’s an organizational issue that has been years in the making.”
Local beat analyst (paraphrase)
Unconfirmed
- Reports that the Browns contacted veteran kickers such as Matt Prater or others within 48 hours of Hopkins’ release are unconfirmed; there is no public record of calls or offers at the time of publication.
- Internal discussions about whether the Browns fully explored veteran options before committing to Szmyt’s camp role remain unverified by official team documents or statements.
Bottom line
Andre Szmyt’s missed kicks in a 17-16 loss are the visible result, but they are symptoms of larger organizational choices. The extension of Dustin Hopkins after a singular outstanding season, the decision to carry him into 2024 despite regression, and the late-August roster gambit to cut him and spotlight a less experienced kicker all contributed to a brittle situation at a high-leverage position.
For Cleveland, the immediate question is pragmatic: replace the kicker quickly with a veteran to stabilize results, or continue with Szmyt and hope for in-season correction. For fans and analysts, the broader lesson is structural — high turnover and cost-management decisions at specialist positions can produce predictable failures when pressure inevitably mounts. How the Browns respond in the coming days will be telling about the front office’s priorities between short-term reliability and long-term roster strategy.
Sources
- cleveland.com — Local newspaper reporting and game coverage (primary local reporting)
- NFL.com — Official game recap and league statistics (league official)
- Pro-Football-Reference — Historical player statistics and season splits (statistical database)
- Cleveland Browns — Team statements and roster transactions (official team source)