back with the Cleveland Browns but the reunion doesn’t mean Dustin Hopkins is on his way out.
The Browns will continue to roll with Hopkins, who is under contract for next season. It will give York — who signed a futures contract with the Browns on March 23 — a chance to continue progressing.
“We’re really happy with it and obviously Dustin’s our kicker this year, barring any type of catastrophic injury or something along those lines,” Berry told Cleveland.com on Tuesday at the NFL annual meetings. “But we felt like Cade was one of, if not the best options to work with in that developmental spot.”
Head coach Kevin Stefanski echoed that sentiment a day earlier.
“As you saw with Cade, excited about him,” Stefanski said. “It didn’t work out, but you never know how this business works. So the ability to bring Cade back into the fold I think is great for him, for us. So excited about it.”
The Browns picked York in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, hoping he could be their long-term solution at kicker. At the time, he was the highest-drafted kicker since 2016 (Roberto Aguayo, picked in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
York showed some flashes, but he was inconsistent overall during his lone full season with the Browns. He converted 75% of his field goals (24-for-32) and missed a pair of extra points
Dustin Hopkins Trade Paid Off for Browns
Cleveland decided to part ways with York prior to the start of the season and traded for Hopkins. He had just lost his own kicking battle with the Los Angeles Chargers but the risky move paid off for the Browns, with Hopkins churning out the best season of his career.
Hopkins made 33 out of 36 field goal attempts, with four of them being game-winners. He also set a franchise record for the Browns by making 31 field goals in a single season. His eight successful attempts from beyond 50 yards also set another team record
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