By the looks of it, the Cleveland Browns. will have a new kicker for the team’s Week Two Monday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and one that should be an upgrade.
It appears the team is giving up on kicker Cade York, as it has acquired kicker Dustin Hopkins from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a 2025 7th-round pick. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media first reported the news. Adam Schefter of ESPN had the return.
York, who was just 24-of-32 on field goal attempts last season, struggled with a 4-of-8 preseason. Cleveland selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of LSU, but Cleveland has now decided to acquire Hopkins.
After the move, York was released. Brad Stainbrook of the Orange And Brown Report reported that York was notified he was being cut and would not be on the Week One roster. Hopkins will now officially take over as Cleveland’s starting kicker.
He’s a veteran who’s been steady throughout his career, with an 84.8 career field goal percentage. He’s a known commodity, and at this point that’s a lot better than whatever upside York may have down the line after a rough first season and brutal second preseason.
Hopkins only played in five games due to an injury last season, but he did go 9-of-10 in those five games. He’ll look to stay healthy and be an upgrade for the Browns in 2023.
