Kevin Stefanski Was Ready To Cut Andre Szmyt Before the Kicker Broke Browns’ Losing Streak, Confirms Coach

The Cleveland Browns opened their season with a gut-punch 17–16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and the fallout was ugly. Fans zeroed in on rookie kicker Andre Szmyt, who missed an extra point and botched a 36-yard field goal that could have flipped the result.

Special teams coach Raymond “Bubba” Ventrone admitted in a press Conference on September 25th, 2025, the team had already reached out to other kickers before Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers. Szmyt’s leash was thin.

When asked if the team contacted other kickers, Bubba replied with a vague, “Um, we might have.”

Keeping Sunday in mind, this doesn’t come as a shocker.

With the game tied late, the rookie lined up for a 55-yard attempt — the kind of kick most coaches wouldn’t trust a shaky first-year player to even attempt. Szmyt drilled it, sealing a 13–10 win over Green Bay. In the locker room, head coach Kevin Stefanski delivered a message that cut deeper.

“You’ve been through a lot,” Stefanski told him.  The Browns swarmed their kicker, celebrating their first win of 2025 while rallying around a player who just days earlier was on the verge of losing his job.