ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that placekicker Dustin Hopkins signed a three-year, $15.9 million contract extension with the Cleveland Browns. The deal would keep him with the Browns until 2027, which is excellent news for him, considering he finished the 2023 season with a hamstring injury.
The $5.3 million annual average of Hopkins' new contract ties him with the Houston Texans' Ka'imi Fairbairn as the fifth highest-paid NFL kicker, trailing Justin Tucker, Jake Elliott, Matt Gay, and Graham Gano.
Hopkins has suffered some bumps throughout his NFL journey. Since entering the league as a sixth-round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, he lost his roster spot in four other teams before arriving at Cleveland. Hopkins started with the Buffalo Bills and lasted one season before signing with the New Orleans Saints. However, he did not crack the Saints' active roster for 2014 and 2015.
Dustin Hopkins was cut by Buffalo, New Orleans, and Washington before he lost his kicking job with the Chargers and was traded to the Browns a year ago. Now, he's one of the league's highest-paid kickers. https://t.co/V7veN3ExKZ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 15, 2024
The Washington football franchise signed him four days after the 2015 NFL season started. The former Florida State standout played for the Redskins/Football Team/Commanders until 2021, when he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers.
After two seasons with the Chargers, Hopkins joined the Browns via a trade. However, his new contract signifies that he's not going anywhere. Hopkins finished the 2023 season with 33 field goal conversions out of 36 attempts and 24 extra points in 26 tries. However, his injury kept him out of the playoffs, and Riley Patterson took over during Cleveland's Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans.
-Lance Fernandez