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Browns Roster Cut Candidate Surprises Many
Browns Roster Cut Candidate Surprises Many originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Cleveland Browns have a lot on their hands this upcoming season. Not the least of which concerns the quarterback position.
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With a shortage of viable wide receivers and a questionable offensive line, general manager Andrew Berry has a lot to worry about for the 2025 campaign in Cleveland.
The one thing he shouldn't have to worry about is the kicker.
But here we are.
The Athletic's Zac Jackson believes that Dustin Hopkins should be a worry for Berry heading into 2025.
"Coming off Hopkins' nightmarish 2024 season, his outlook can also fairly be tied to some bigger-picture issues," Jackson wrote. "Hopkins and special teams coach Bubba Ventrone were rightly celebrated for their contributions in the 11-win season of 2023. Hopkins got a contract extension from general manager Andrew Berry before last season, then made just 18 of 27 field goals and also missed three PATs. Hopkins has to be better, immediately, or the Browns will have to move on."
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Last season was Hopkins' 10th in the league, and age could be becoming a factor, if that's a thing with kickers.
For his career, Hopkins is 93.6 percent on extra points, an impressive number. But last season, he made just 66 percent of his field goals, missing 4-of-8 from 50-plus yards, missing 3-of-8 from 40-49, and he missed just 2-of-11 from 20-39 yards.
Those numbers are way down from his career averages.
Hopkins has never made less than 79.4 percent of his kicks in any season, and he hit that low mark in 2020 with the Washington franchise.
In 2023, his 91.7 percent mark was the best of his career.
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Related: Browns Insider Declares Shedeur Sanders 'No Longer Special'
Related: Browns Tied to Pro Bowl Tight End in Unlikely Trade Scenario
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
