The Cleveland Browns are switching kickers less than two weeks before the season opener.
On Monday, the Browns acquired Dustin Hopkins from the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, ending Cade York’s tenure as Cleveland’s kicker. The Browns plan to waive York, a source told ESPN.
York, 22, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Browns in 2022. He nailed a 58-yard, game-winning field goal to defeat the Carolina Panthers in his rookie debut. But York has struggled ever since, including this preseason.
On Aug. 18 in Philadelphia, York missed two game-winning attempts, getting a second try after a penalty. Then, in Saturday’s preseason loss in Kansas City, York had a potential game-winning field goal blocked. He also missed an extra point try.
Last year, even with the Carolina game winner, York made only 24 of 32 field goal attempts (75%) for one of the worst conversion rates of any starting kicker in the league.
Hopkins, 32, has made 84.8% of his 224 field goal attempts in his career. That included making 9 of 10 over five games for the Chargers last season. He also has converted 94.4% of his 234 point-after attempts in his career.
Hopkins had been competing with Cameron Dicker for the Chargers’ kicking job during training camp.
