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. 

This is a developing story. Stay tuned!

Andre Szmyt’s Missed Field Goal Seals Loss to Bengals

The Browns lost a tough game to the Bengals, 17-16, even though they were better in many parts of the game, like getting more yards and holding onto the pigskin for longer. The main reason they lost was a series of mistakes, especially from their new kicker. Expressing how the team takes the loss, color analyst Johnson said, “It’s like any player that feels that he let his team down,” he added, “It is the sickest feeling you can imagine because your mistake hurts so many other people. And it is hard to shake it off. And for Andre Szmyt as a kicker? You’ve got to be able to get rid of it quick.”

Rookie kicker Andre Szmyt was playing in his very first NFL game. He had beaten out an older player for the job, but his debut was a letdown. He missed a simple extra point kick after a touchdown and, even worse, missed a short 36-yard field goal with only two minutes left in the game. That kick would have given the Browns the lead and a chance to win.

But even with the loss, the Browns’ defense was amazing. Led by star player Myles Garrett, they made it incredibly hard for the Bengals to do anything. Garrett was a beast, sacking their quarterback twice in a row. The Bengals’ offense barely did anything all game, which shows how good the Browns’ defense played.

While the Browns’ offense had the pigskin for most of the game and got a lot more yards than the Bengals, they couldn’t score when it mattered. Their quarterback, Flacco, threw for a lot of yards and a touchdown, but his two interceptions were a big problem. In the end, it was those missed kicks and turnovers that led to their close one-point loss. The Bengals, with their recent victory, are scheduled to play against the Jaguars on September 14.