The Cleveland Browns are bringing back Dustin Hopkins.
According to The Plain Dealer‘s Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland signed Hopkins to a three-year, $15.9 million contract with $8.36 million guaranteed. A $5.3 million average annual salary would match Ka’imi Fairbairn as the fifth highest-paid kicker.
Cleveland added the veteran last year to replace Cade York, who made 24 of 32 field goals in 2022. Hopkins provided more stability to the position, converting a franchise record 33 of 36 field-goal attempts.
Along with making all 15 field goals from within 40 yards, he also made a career-high eight kicks of 50 yards or more in as many tries. Hopkins had already booted a pair of 54-yarders before setting a personal benchmark with a 58-yarder in the fourth quarter of Week 7’s 39-38 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
It marked the fifth straight game in which he converted a 50-yard field goal, a new NFL record. Hopkins also made four game-winning field goals in 2023, two of which sealed upsets over the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens.
Over nine NFL seasons, Hopkins has made 85.8 percent of his field goals (223 of 260) and 94.2 percent of his extra points (245 of 260). His last miss from within 40 yards occurred on Nov. 22, 2020.
Hopkins didn’t take an easy path to this payday. The Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints cut him before he made his NFL debut in Washington. He played 16 games for the Los Angeles Chargers, who traded him to Cleveland for a 2025 seventh-round pick last August.
Related: Browns Kicker Made NFL History This Sunday vs. Colts