André Szmyt has turned a camp role meant for insurance into the Browns' kicking job. Signed as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2025 campaign, he arrived as extra depth during training camp and offseason work, then won the job from Dustin Hopkins.
That change matters in Cleveland because the Browns have been searching for steadiness at kicker since Phil Dawson left in 2013, cycling through 16 different players at the position. Szmyt is now the latest attempt to end that churn, and his case is built on performance rather than promise.
Over the last two campaigns, Szmyt made 34 of 37 field goal attempts and 32 of 34 extra-point attempts. He also hit seven field goals from 50 yards or farther on eight tries, with a long of 55 yards in 2025 and 56 yards in 2026. Those numbers explain why a player signed as depth ended up taking over a job that the Browns had not been able to lock down for years.
The twist is that Cleveland did not bring him in as the clear answer. The Browns had already lived through recent kicking swings, including Cade York, who was drafted out of LSU in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft and went 24-for-32 in his first season before being waived. Szmyt still forced his way into the role, which says more about his leg than about the plan that brought him to the team.
For now, the biggest unresolved detail is the one the numbers do not provide: the size and length of Szmyt's contract extension. The job is his, and the Browns finally have a kicker who earned it the hard way.
