Browns' Andre Szmyt: Back with Browns on futures deal
Rotowire
Cleveland signed Szmyt to a reserve/futures contract Tuesday.
The Browns cut Szmyt from their practice squad in December, but now he'll start 2025 back with them. Starting kicker Dustin Hopkins is coming off a rough season (66.7 percent field-goal conversion rate), so there could be competition at the position before the next campaign.
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Andre Szmyt: Let go by Cleveland
Rotowire
The Browns cut Szmyt from the practice squad Tuesday.
Szmyt was signed to the Browns' practice squad Dec. 24 to provide competition to Dustin Hopkins for kicking duties over the final two games of the regular season. Hopkins made his lone extra-point attempt during Cleveland's Week 17 loss to Miami, and it appears he will serve as the Browns' kicker for the regular-season finale against the Ravens on Saturday due to Szmyt being let go from the practice squad. Szmyt hasn't attempted a kick in an NFL regular-season game since signing with the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse in April of 2023.
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Andre Szmyt: Joins Cleveland's practice squad
Rotowire
Szmyt agreed to a contract with the Browns' practice squad Tuesday, Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com reports.
Cleveland's decision to bring Szmyt aboard as a member of its practice squad could hint that Dustin Hopkins' standing as the team's kicker is on shaky ground after another poor performance in Sunday's 24-6 loss to the Bengals. After he was inactive for the Week 15 loss to the Chiefs following a string of poor outings, Hopkins stepped back in as Cleveland's kicker for Week 16 but missed his lone extra-point attempt in the loss. With Hopkins having now missed 12 total kicks on the season (nine field goals, three extra points), the Browns could turn to Szmyt if he impresses in his initial practices with the team. The 26-year-old has yet to make his NFL debut since going undrafted out of Syracuse in 2023, but he was one of the top kickers in the UFL this past spring as a member of the St. Louis Battlehawks, converting 19 of 21 field-goal attempts with a long of 61 yards.
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Andre Szmyt: Gets cut loose
Rotowire
Szmyt was waived by the Bears on Tuesday.
Szmyt joined Chicago as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse in the spring, but he'll now need to search for a new opportunity. The move will leave Cairo Santos as the only kicker on the Bears' roster.
