For 14 years, the Cleveland Browns relied on Phil Dawson to put up points on the scoreboard. An 84 percent kicker, he left the team in 2013 as the second-leading scorer in franchise history (1,271 points).
The Browns haven't found much stability since his departure, with double-digit changes at kicker. That includes recent busts like Cade York and Dustin Hopkins, who fell from grace after a strong first season with the organization.
That's why it's such a breath of fresh air to know that they may have finally found their guy.
Andre Szmyt has reportedly looked just as good to start training camp as he did during last year's breakout season, giving the team one fewer thing to worry about in 2026.
Andre Szmyt could be the answer to a longstanding Cleveland Browns problem
Szmyt's Browns career got off to a disappointing start when he missed a potential game-winning field goal in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals last year. The disappointment was compounded not only by pressure from media and fans to make a change, but the emotional process of Szmyt losing his mother, Lala, to a brain aneurysm on July 10, 2025.
He bounced back in a big way, though, knocking down 24 of 27 field goals (88.9 percent) and 25 of 26 extra points. He was perfect from inside 30 yards (4-of-4), hit from 55 yards, and he didn't miss a single kick from Week 8 on.
"I mean, I owe this franchise my life," Szmyt told the Akron Beacon Journal. "I owe them everything and I hope I'm here for life. It really does mean a lot that they stuck with me. I mean, after Week 1, they know everything that's going on in my personal life, too. And they know, one, it's a challenge to play in the NFL in and of itself, especially this position with the mental battle, but then also with everything else that's going on in your personal life. I mean, they knew I could handle it."
The second-year kicker has started 15-of-17 on field goal attempts in training camp so far, including a perfect showing in one practice this week that he ended with a successful two-minute drill.
#Browns K Andre Szmyt went 6/6 in his field goal drills and then added another made FG during a 2-minute drill to end practice. pic.twitter.com/WDrZAedptq
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) August 4, 2026
A lot has been made of the Browns' quarterback situation, and rightfully so. However, that only puts more weight on the kicker's shoulders. Field position and converting on every scoring opportunity will be crucial for this team, and having a dependable player to lean on will be huge after so many years of shortcomings at the position.
Winning teams focus on all three facets of the game. Special teams were a nightmare for most of the Bubba Ventrone era, and giving kickers such a long leash often came back to haunt this team when it mattered the most.
Of course, this is a volatile position, and plenty of it is also mental. It might be too early to say the team is in the clear.
But the early returns with Szmyt are certainly encouraging, and it looks like the Browns' prayers have finally been answered in that department.
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