CLEVELAND — In a season of devastating and downright baffling injuries for the Browns, this one might take the ultimate award in the "Are you kidding me?" category.
Already without its starting quarterback, running back, offensive tackles, and others, Cleveland will now be missing its kicker, as head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Tuesday that Dustin Hopkins will not play in Thursday's game against the New York Jets. The 33-year-old hurt his hamstring while running on a kickoff return play this past Sunday in Houston, and Stefanski says he is "week-to-week."
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A nine-year NFL veteran, Hopkins has managed to give the Browns something they haven't seen since Phil Dawson's departure: reliability at the placekicking position. The Florida State alum was acquired from the Los Angeles Charges to replace the ineffective Cade York, and has responded by making 91.7% of his field goal attempts (the fourth-best mark in team history) while nailing all eight of his tries from 50 yards or more. His 123 points scored are also fourth in the NFL among kickers this year.
Things seemed to be going swimmingly again in Week 16 against the Texans until early in the second quarter, when Dameon Pierce broke through the coverage on one of Hopkins' kickoffs. Hopkins would be the last man chasing after him along the sideline, but was pushed out of bounds as Pierce glided into the end zone for a touchdown.
The score would not mean much in the outcome of the game as the Browns went on to win 36-22, but Hopkins would not return to the field, and Cleveland would not attempt an extra point or field goal for the rest of the afternoon. To make matters worse, punter Corey Bojorquez also suffered an injury while performing kickoffs, depriving the club of its only somewhat viable backup option.
Bojorquez's status for "Thursday Night Football" remains up in the air, but the man to take Hopkins' place for now appears to be Riley Patterson, whom the Browns signed to their practice squad on Monday. Patterson kicked for the Jacksonville Jaguars during their playoff run in 2022 and most recently spent 13 games this season with the Detroit Lions, making 15 of 17 field goals with a long of 52 yards. However, he was released a week ago after missing two PATs in three games.
"[He] came in [and] did a nice job in his workout," Stefanski told reporters in a Tuesday press conference. "Obviously has production in this league and this season, so a guy we're comfortable with."
Cleveland's 2023 injury list has been as puzzling as it is downright cruel, punctuated by the fact that the team has been forced to use four different starting quarterbacks thanks to Deshaun Watson's fractured shoulder. While veteran Joe Flacco has now taken the reins, the news in the QB room only got worse today, as backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1-2 as a starter) was placed on injured reserve with a hip ailment. To replace him in the No. 2 spot, P.J. Walker (1-1 as a starter) was signed back from the practice squad.
The Browns now have no less than a dozen players out for at least the regular season with some type of injury, including:
- QB Deshaun Watson
- QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
- RB Nick Chubb
- WR/KR Jakeem Grant
- LT Jedrick Wills Jr.
- RT Jack Conklin
- RT Dawand Jones
- DE Ogbo Okoronkwo
- DT Maurice Hurst
- LB Jacob Phillips
- S Grant Delpit
- S Rodney McLeod
Yet through it all, the Browns have somehow emerged as true contenders, sporting a 10-5 record to pace all AFC wild-card hopefuls. They can officially clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Jets on Thursday.
Should Bojorquez not be able to go, the honor would likely go to veteran punter Matt Haack, who was signed to the practice squad on Tuesday. He would also serve as the holder on field goals and extra points, per Stefanski.