Former Florida State Kicker Traded to Cleveland Browns After Losing Kicking Battle In LA

The former Seminole is hoping to get back on track after a hamstring injury cost him the majority of last year.

The end of the preseason is revealing plenty of surprises before teams cut down to 53 players on August 29. 

Dustin Hopkins, a former Florida State Seminoles kicker from 2009-2012, has been traded from the Los Angeles Chargers to the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 7th-round pick after apparently losing the kicking battle to Cameron Dicker. This will now be his 5th NFL team he's been on. 

Source: Cameron Dicker won the #Chargers kicking job and... Dustin Hopkins is being traded to #Browns.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2023

Hopkins started his career in Buffalo, after being a 6th round pick, before joining the New Orleans Saints practice squad, then spending a long time with the Washington Football Team/Commanders/Whatever We're Calling Them This Week starting in 2015, then moving to Los Angeles for the 2021 season. 

Hopkins signed a three-year contract with the Chargers before the 2022 season but an injured hamstring against the Broncos in Week 6 cost him the rest of the season on injured reserve, and Cameron Dicker took over. Hopkins has been a 90% accuracy kicker for the Chargers, but Dicker hit 95% of his kicks for the Chargers last year at a lower contract. 

READ MORE: Florida State Receiver Ja'Khi Douglas to Miss 'A Few Games' Heading Into 2023 Season

The Cleveland Browns drafted Cade York from LSU in the 4th round of the 2022 Draft, but he has mightily struggled thus far in his career, hitting just 75% of his FGs and missing two extra points last season, and was just 4/8 in this preseason (one was blocked. The Browns are hoping Hopkins can provide some stability to their special teams unit, something head coach Kevin Stefanski takes a lot of pride in.

At Florida State, Hopkins was a 1st Team All-American Kicker in 2012 for the Seminoles and left Tallahassee as the all-time leader in field goals made at 88, but has since been topped by Arizona State's Zane Gonzalez, Auburn's Daniel Carlson, and NC State's Cristopher Dunn, and is 6th all-time in consecutive PAT's made. 

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READ MORE: Florida State Enters Week As Slight Underdog To LSU In Highly-Anticipated Matchup

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