Browns Make Final Call on Kicker’s Fate After Game-Deciding Misses
The Cleveland Browns appear ready to roll with Andre Szmyt for another week after his miserable debut against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Szmyt missed two very important kicks against the Begnals during a 17-16 loss. He sailed an extra point and a 36-yard field goal wide right. The chip-shot field goal would have given the Browns the lead with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
While many predicted that the Browns would be searching for a new kicker this week, Cleveland appears set to give Szmyt another shot. The Browns did not try out a kicker on Tuesday, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
The move would be in line with what the Browns have said this week, backing Szmyt despite the misses.
Obviously, Andre knows we trust him, knows that he’s got to come through for us in those moments,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday. “I thought he had a really good warm up. Banged a couple early in the game and, you know, missed those two at the end and those are kicks that we expect him to make. But I’m really just focused on that game and we expect him to come through for us.”
Not trying out a kicker on Tuesday does not mean Szmyt is completely safe. But as it stands, it appears he’ll be looking for redemption on Sunday on the road against the Baltimore Ravens.
Browns Kicker Andre Szmyt Won Battle in Training Camp
The matchup with the Bengals marked Szmyt’s NFL debut. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Chicago Bears in 2023 but didn’t make the roster. He has also spent time in the UFL, where he played for the St. Louis Battlehawks. Szmyt had a strong college career at Syracuse, winning the Lou Groza Award in 2018.
He beat out incumbent Dustin Hopkins for the gig with a perfect preseason. Hopkins hit a career-low 66% of his field goals (18-of-27) last season and also missed three extra points. That was a sharp decline from 2023, when he went 33-of-36 overall and a perfect 8-of-8 from 50-plus yards. His strong showing that year earned him a three-year extension, placing him among the league’s highest-paid kickers at the time. Hopkins remains a free agent.
“I think Andre (Szmyt) did a nice job since he’s been here, took advantage of every opportunity that we gave him,” Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone said last week. “And just made a decision, felt like it was the right thing to do for our team.”
Browns Shuffle Practice Squad Players
The Browns did make a fringe roster move on Tuesday, shuffling practice squad players. Cleveland signed defensive tackle Ralph Holley to the practice squad and released RB Trayveon Williams from the practice squad.
Holley (6-foot-0, 285 pounds) is officially in his first NFL season out of Western Michigan. He spent all offseason and preseason with the Browns this year. He has also spent time in the USFL and CFL.
The Browns will head to Baltimore this week looking to bounce back from the painful Week 1 loss. Cleveland is a 12.5-point underdog for the matchup, per ESPN BET.
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons Expected to Play Week 1 Despite Ongoing Contract Tensions
The Dallas Cowboys‘ situation with Micah Parsons has been very up-in-the-air ever since the three-time All-Pro edge rusher submitted a trade request at the start of the month.
Jerry Jones, when asked back on August 5th whether he was confident that former Defensive Rookie of the Year would suit up for Week one, gave the impression that his playing status for the opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 4th was very much in doubt.
However, speaking on Wednesday, head coach Brian Schottenheimer delivered some much-needed good news for the fanbase.
Although he did not venture near any level of certainty, the rookie HC “feels good” about the probability of Parsons playing against the Eagles in just over two weeks time, via Underdog NFL.
Schottenheimer Optimistic That Parsons Will Play In Week 1 Despite Contract Battle
The situation is very much fluid, with Parsons having requested a trade and the organization seemingly having no plans to honor that wish. It is also unclear if this is simply part of a negotiation tactic to put further pressure on Dallas to get an extension done, or an actual, bona fide desire to exit the franchise.
The former Penn State star is playing on the fifth year option of his rookie deal, worth around $24 million in 2025. Now that deals have been made for edge rushers like Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby and TJ Watt, Parsons is next up.
And since Watt just broke Garrett’s previously record-setting 4 year, $160 million contract ($40 million/year) with a 3 year, $123 million ($41 million/year) of his own; the younger Parsons will most probably expect his forthcoming extension to supersede both.
Yet, it seems like considering the way things are going from his vantage point, “Schotty” feels at least vaguely confident that he will have his best defensive player at the ready come the start of the regular season.
Will Parsons Remain With The Cowboys Long Term?
Adam Schefter, speaking to Pat McAfee on Tuesday, predicted that the fifth year DE and Dallas will likely remain together – at least until the end of the year.
“I think to me today,” Schefter said to McAfee on Tuesday, “It feels like they’re kinda gonna put up with each other this year. And then, the Cowboys are gonna have the franchise tag and they would put the franchise tag on him, and then next offseason would be the offseason of the Micah trade. I think that that one, of all the scenarios, feels to be the most logical today.”
Schefter also acknowledges that it is still only August, and that there are likely more twists and turns, but unless a team really comes in with a serious, serious offer, Parsons will most likely stay in Dallas for the remainder of the season, even if they pair cannot figure out a deal.
No Cowboys fans want to see the team move on from a player like Parsons – even if it does land the organization a gargantuan haul of picks.
But the fact that Schottenheimer thinks he will probably play feels like at least a step in the right direction.
