Hopkins has made only 64% of his field-goal tries this year. When asked about him after Sunday’s game, Kevin Stefanski responded, ‘He’s our kicker.’
Credit to Dustin Hopkins: He was willing to face the music.
In fact, the Browns‘ kicker waited by his locker until all reporters showed up, knowing they would want to speak with him following Cleveland’s 27-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hopkins missed two field goals in the defeat, adding to what has so far been a disastrous season for him on the field.
Though Hopkins was far from the only reason the Browns’ record fell to 3-10 on Sunday, his poor performances have drawn ire from some fans and observers wondering what happened to the man who appeared to have finally filled the club’s deep kicking void only a year ago. Never one to shy away from accountability, however, the 34-year-old veteran took questions for several minutes, and even gave an opening statement to the press.
“I’m paid to make those kicks, so I want to. I want it more for my teammates and the coaching staff and ownership in this city I think more than I want it for myself,” Hopkins said. “I invest a lot of time and effort into what I do, and to see it not come to fruition is frustrating. It’s been a frustrating year.”
With the Browns trailing 13-7 late in the first half, Hopkins had a chance to cut the deficit to three with a relatively easy 38-yard try, but hooked it wide left. A chance at redemption came with a 43-yard attempt on the first series of the third quarter, but that one went wide right.
In 2023, Hopkins made a career-high 91.7% of his field goals for a Cleveland team that went to the playoffs, and was rewarded with a three-year contract extension worth $15.9 million. But in 2024, just 64% of his field goal attempts have gone through the uprights, the worst mark in the league for anyone with at least 20 tries. Counting extra points, he has also missed eight kicks in his last seven games.
Asked about Hopkins after the game, head coach Kevin Stefanski called him a pro and added, “I expect him to work through it.” When asked multiple times if the Browns would consider other options, though, Stefanski simply said, “He’s our kicker.”
For his part, Hopkins isn’t worried about losing his job — not because he doesn’t care (“I don’t take the job lightly”), but because he doesn’t think panicking about his future will help him in any way.
“All I can do is worry about the next thing, you know?” he explained. “I like working. I like being here. This is a great building, but it’s not something I think about.”
To Hopkins, the only thing that can cure is kicking troubles is continued work to “find a good swing” with his leg. For an NFL kicker, nothing is perhaps more important than a good “swing thought” to get the mind at ease, but while that’s something that’s come easier for Hopkins in the past, it’s been a bit harder this year.
“Every week, I feel like I’m there working and I’m like, ‘OK, I feel like maybe this is the swing thought that will work,'” Hopkins said. “Usually a swing thought will work for like five weeks, and then maybe you have to find a new one. But this year, it’s been like, ‘You’ve got to find one every week,’ so it’s been tough going. … You correct one thing and then something else rears its head.”
Several of Hopkins’ teammates could be seen going up to him to show their support in the locker room. Despite his struggles, they still expressed belief in their kicker.
“I’m sure he’s his toughest critic,” left guard Joel Bitonio said. “We have a lot of faith in Dustin. He made a lot of big kicks for us in his career here, so I’ve got faith in him.”
That support has been indispensable for Hopkins as a person, as has his vocal Christian faith. He says he and others “remind each other when things go good or when things go bad, that’s not what our life is built on.”
“I’m not afraid of failures and successes, either one,” he added. “I still have peace on the field, even though it hasn’t necessarily turned into made kicks as much as I want.”