Who is Browns kicker? How Andre Szmyt's short missed field goal led to devastating loss to Bengals

Daniel Mader

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Who is Browns kicker? How Andre Szmyt's short missed field goal led to devastating loss to Bengals image

The Browns very much had an opportunity to steal a Week 1 win.

While Cleveland entered the 2025 season expected to have another transitional year while lacking enough talent to compete in the AFC North, Kevin Stefanski's squad was hanging around with the Bengals' high-octane offense on Sunday. By the fourth quarter, Cincinnati held just a one-point lead.

However, the 17-16 Bengals lead would hold until the final whistle — and that was partially due to a huge missed opportunity by the Browns. Their kicker, Andre Szmyt, missed a 36-yard field goal that would have given Cleveland the lead. 

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Here's how Szmyt's short-range missed field goal led to the Browns' first loss of the 2025 season. 

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Browns' missed field goal vs. Bengals

The Bengals' offense, led by Joe Burrow, is supposed to be the team's strength. But through three quarters, Cleveland was holding its own defensively.

Chase Brown began the scoring with a first-quarter touchdown for the Bengals, but the Browns answered in the second quarter with a Raheim Sanders score from one yard out. The two squads traded a few more blows in the middle frames, including a field goal from Szmyt and touchdowns for Cincinnati's Noah Fant and Cleveland's Cedric Tillman.

The Bengals closed out the third quarter with a field goal, giving them a 17-16 lead. But with just over two minutes remaining in the divisional matchup, the Browns' offense was on the field with a chance to take the lead.

Out came Szmyt and the kicking unit for a 36-yard attempt, which is relatively short distance for an NFL kicker. But the kicker missed it wide-right. 

The Bengals did fork over two more opportunities for the Browns to take the lead, punting twice, but neither resulted in points for Cleveland. Ultimately, the missed field goal, and not taking advantage of other offensive opportunities, resulted in the Browns' first loss of 2025.

Who is Andre Szmyt?

Szmyt is the Browns' starting kicker entering the 2025 season. He spent his five-year college career at Syracuse before heading to the NFL in 2023.

Szmyt was signed by Chicago as an undrafted free agent in May 2023, then waived the following August. In January 2024, he signedwith the St. Louis Battlehawks of UFL, spending some time in the spring league.

The Browns signed Szmyt to their practice squad in December 2024, and he earned a reserve/future contract with the team in the following month. Szmyt proceeded to earn Cleveland's starting kicking job over Dustin Hopkins in training camp this year, making the 53-man roster. 

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.