Report: Washington to stick with kicker Dustin Hopkins originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Dustin Hopkins’ job is safe, for now.
The Washington Football Team will not be making a change at kicker, according to ESPN’s John Keim, despite Hopkins’ continuous struggles this season.
Hopkins has made just 12 of his 17 field goal attempts this year (70.6%), well down from his career average of 83.4%. Distance has been an issue for Hopkins, as he’s made just six of the 10 attempts he’s taken from 40 or more yards out.
The veteran kicker had a crucial 43-yard miss in Sunday’s loss to Detroit, a game the Lions ended up winning by just a field goal. Hopkins also missed a kick in the Burgundy and Gold’s Week 6 loss to the Giants, a clash Big Blue would win by just one point.
On Monday, head coach Ron Rivera said the team was “discussing” bringing in another kicker, but highlighted that making a change at the position can’t be a spontaneous decision.
“The hard part is, when you bring a guy in, you want to make sure you have a guy that’s going to fit you, you have a guy that’s got a lot of experience because you’re going to replace an experienced guy,” Rivera said. “It’s something we’re discussing.”
Hopkins has proven he’s more than capable of being a reliable kicker; he’s never had a season with a conversion rate lower than 81% until this year. And for now, Rivera plans to allow him to work out of his slump.