K Andre Szmyt had been in this situation before – a field goal with a chance to win the game.
He had come up clutch in college with Syracuse against Liberty in 2021, making a 35-yard field goal as time expired. He had executed in the UFL with the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2024, knocking through a 22-yard field goal with no time left on the clock. Now, he had his opportunity to do the same in the NFL with the Browns.
With Cleveland down 17-16 against the Rams, a 37-yard field goal stood between Szmyt and winning the game. As P Corey Bojorquez put the tip of the ball down onto the ground, Szmyt took three steps and on the third, planted his left foot and swung his right leg, hitting the ball through the middle of the uprights.
Three days after he won the final preseason game for the Browns, he earned the Browns' kicking job, marking the first time he will be on an NFL 53-man roster in his career.
"I think the big thing about these decisions is these are ongoing evaluations that we try to take in as much information as possible, and that's going back to work that we did in the spring, work that we certainly did in the summer," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "There are moments in football games where you want to come through for your team and Andre did."
Szmyt winning the starting job came on the heels of a perfect kicking preseason. He made all three field goals he attempted, making a 33, 37 and 49-yard field goal, and converting the one extra point he was called on for.
He admitted that following the final preseason game, waiting for a decision to be made was nerve-racking. Yet, he didn't stop working on his craft. Even while waiting, Szmyt said he was preparing for Week 1 and not focusing on whether he made the 53-man roster or not. This process is one that he had throughout training camp and preseason, focusing on his craft rather than a decision that was out of his hands.
"I think there's a lot of emotion that goes into (kicking)," Szmyt said. "There's so much uncertainty in the NFL. I'm just super grateful to be here and I'll take advantage of every opportunity I get and put my best foot forward."
Check out the top shots from Day 18 of 2025 Browns Training Camp as players got to work with drills, workouts and team prep at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Safety Damontae Kazee (23) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Kicker Andre Szmyt (47) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Assistant Wide Receivers Coach Stephen Bravo-Brown during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Assistant Defensive Line Coach Adam Morris during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (81) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Quarterback Coach Bill Musgrave during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive tackle KT Leveston (72) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Kicker Andre Szmyt (47) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (81) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive guard Teven Jenkins (74) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Bill Willis Diversity Fellow Michael Bearden during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Center Luke Wypler (56) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive tackle KT Leveston (72) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Quarterback Joe Flacco (15) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (81) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Wide receiver Isaiah Bond (81) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive tackle KT Leveston (72) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Center Luke Wypler (56) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive Line Coach Mike Bloomgren during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive Line Coach Mike Bloomgren during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Safety Donovan McMillon (31) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Defensive Line Coach Jacques Cesaire during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Offensive tackle Cornelius Lucas (71) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Defensive lineman Adin Huntington (66) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Safety Rayshawn Jenkins (28) during Day 18 of Training Camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on August 26, 2025.
Now that Szmyt is officially on the 53-man roster, an important task for him is further building chemistry with Bojorquez and LS Rex Sunahara before the beginning of the regular season. After joining the Browns practice squad at the end of last season, Szmyt was splitting reps with K Dustin Hopkins. Now Szmyt, Bojorquez and Sunahara will have more opportunities to focus on fine-tuning themselves as a unit.
While Szmyt said the group is already tight knit, there is still room to improve. The unit will spend the next week continuing to better learn Szmyt's tendencies and preferences as they continue to get reps in preparation to the beginning of the regular season.
"I feel like every kicker likes their own kind of lean and stuff and how the hand looks when the snap is coming and everything," Szmyt said. "We talked about it and (Bojorquez is) a great holder and Rex is a great snapper, so it makes his job easy and that makes my job easy, too."
With an NFL team's kicking duties falling squarely on Szmyt for the first time in his career, he said he is trying not to think too much about the future, controlling what he can control – just like he did during training camp.
After two years of working his way to starting in the NFL, Szmyt recognized the pressure put on kickers in the league. Szmyt said he is focused on staying grounded and level-headed, letting lessons he has learned getting to the NFL guide him in Cleveland. Ultimately, Szmyt has been in this situation before.
"(My process is) not letting the big moments get too big and not letting the bad moments get too bad. Trying to stay even," Szmyt said. "That's what I really worked on growing up, going through the kicking journey. Just being older and more mature."
