Cleveland Browns Kicker Andre Szmyt Needs To Build on Strong Rookie Year

The second-year kicker will have the full option to become a consistent provider for the Browns.

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns place kicker Andre Szmyt (25) and long snapper Rex Sunahara (50) celebrate after kicking the game-winning field goal as time expires in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

An underrated aspect of having a good football team doesn’t involve offense or defense, but actually special teams. It seems obvious to say, but sometimes it is easily forgotten about by most fans. 

As far as kicking goes, the Browns' history has some bright spots, such as Phil Dawson, who was a consistent scorer from 1999 to 2012, or Dustin Hopkins in 2023. There have also been many kickers to come through Cleveland without leaving a mark; second-year starter Andre Szmyt looks to avoid that pattern.

Szmyt’s first official season in the NFL gave him all he could handle. After Hopkins took a huge step back in the 2024 season, hitting just 66% of his field goals, the starting job became open for the 2025 season. 

In that first game of 2025, Szmyt’s first start, the Browns lost a heartbreaker to the Cincinnati Bengals 16-17, with many fans throwing blame on Szmyt. Szmyt had missed an extra point after a Browns touchdown midway through the third quarter that would have made the game 17-14. Then, with 2:25 to play in the fourth, he missed a 36-yard field goal that could’ve given the Browns a 19-17 lead. 

After a forgettable debut, Szmyt said he needed to try to forget it and move on, and that's exactly what he did.

Just two weeks later, in a big-time matchup with the Green Bay Packers, the Browns turned to Szmyt with three seconds left from 55 yards out with the score tied at 10. Smzyt knocked it through to propel the Browns to their first win of the season. 

That was exactly what he needed to turn the corner, as the rest of the season, Szmyt went 23-25 on field goals, with one of the misses coming from 56 yards out. After Week 1, he was perfect from 39 yards and in (14-14), and 9-11 from 40 yards plus. 

Szmyt used that confidence he built to nail a 49-yarder to beat the Bengals in Week 18 in the ultimate redemption story. He finished the season 24-27 on field goals (88.9%) and 25-26 on extra points, with the lone miss coming in Week 1.

Szmyt now comes into his second season with the memories of sorrow in Week 1, with the more empathic elation that he experienced winning multiple games on his foot. 

To end the season, getting his revenge on the team that gave him nightmares will give Szmyt all the confidence he needs to become the Browns' full-time starter for many years to come.