Kevin Stefanski Confirms Stance on Signing New Kicker For Browns After Andre Szmyt’s Struggles

A 17-16 defeat at the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 saw the Cleveland Browns‘ hope for a win vanish along with a series of uncharacteristic performances from rookie kicker Andre Szmyt. Szmyt had a forgettable debut at Huntington Bank Field, where he smudged perhaps two of the most crucial kicks of the day: missing an extra point in the third quarter and a 36-yard field goal opportunity near the end of the fourth. Both kicks sailed woefully to the right, especially depriving the Browns of an opportunity to secure what could have been a game-winning drive with a simple field goal kick.

This poor performance comes after the Browns made the decision to start Szmyt for the 2025 season over veteran Dustin Hopkins. Szmyt had a strong preseason, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 4-for-6 on extra points. This was a welcome sign after Hopkins’s significant drop in production during the 2024 season, where his field goal percentage fell from 91.7% to 66.7%. The Browns were counting on Szmyt to be a more reliable option.

Instead, luck turned against Szmyt. But rather than blaming the kicker, the head coach, Kevin Stefanski, stuck up for Szmyt when the media were outraged over all the kicks he had missed. And when asked if they needed to consider getting another kicker, Stefanski said, “I am not there, Daniel, on those types of things.” He also expressed confidence in the rookie: “Andre has had a really good camp, and he has done a nice job for us.” Hence, it appears that, regardless of the unfortunate beginning, the team is putting its weight behind its rookie kicker. 

Browns Kevin Stefanski said he’s not ready to go there regarding bringing in a new kicker. pic.twitter.com/TIQmku6Khu

— Scott Petrak ct (@ScottPetrak) September 7, 2025

This is a developing story. Stay tuned!

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