The Cleveland Browns face challenges both on the field and with their salary cap, and these issues are deeply interconnected.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson has significantly underperformed, but his massive contract limits the team’s ability to move on from him, regardless of public opinion.
Last season, kicker Dustin Hopkins was a standout acquisition by GM Andrew Berry. Traded for a 2025 seventh-round pick, Hopkins proved his value by making 33 of 36 field goals, including a perfect eight-for-eight from over 50 yards. Recognizing his performance, Berry signed Hopkins to a three-year extension, placing him among the league’s highest-paid kickers.
However, like much of the Browns’ 2024 season, Hopkins has struggled this year. His difficulties were highlighted in Week 11 against the New Orleans Saints, where he missed three field goals in the first half. Prior to that game, he had already missed four field goals, including three from beyond 50 yards. While fans have called for his release, his contract makes that an impractical option.
Releasing Hopkins now, assuming no team claims him, would more than double his salary cap hit this season and create additional dead cap in 2025. Cutting him before June 1st in the offseason would have a similar impact, increasing his cap hit from $2.8 million to $5.67 million. A post-June 1st release would spread the cap implications, adding $684K in 2025 and about $2 million in dead cap in 2026.
Much like Watson, Hopkins’ contract complicates any decision to move on from him despite his recent struggles.
