The Cleveland Browns preseason is over, and they leave it with more questions about kicker Cade York than when it began.
York ended the team’s fourth and final preseason game on Saturday, August 26, with a missed 43-yard field goal attempt wide left. He finished the day 1-of-2 on FG tries. His final preseason mark is 4-of-8, logging one miss in each contest.
The kicker spoke to media members following the Browns’ 33-32 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, during which his continued confidence in himself felt almost defiant.
Cade York: “I hate pity. I want to be a weapon. I know how good I am.”
“I hate pity,” York said, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press. “I want to be a weapon. I know how good I am.”
Browns Kicker Cade York in Jeopardy of Losing Starting Job
GettyKicker Cade York of the Cleveland Browns has missed a field goal in each of the team’s four preseason games in 2023.
Scott Petrak of Browns Zone offered a play-by-play of York’s final field goal attempt on X, the social media website formerly known as Twitter, summating Cleveland’s uncertainty in the kicking game in the process.
“Cade York kicking for the lead and perhaps his job,” Petrak wrote.
“#Browns Cade York misses wide left from 43 yards,” Petrak continued. “Deflected.”
“#Browns end preseason with loss and huge question about kicker,” Petrak posted finally.
York’s job was potentially in jeopardy before Saturday’s loss, according to Tony Grossi of ESPN, and the kicker’s performance against the Chiefs didn’t likely improve his standing in Cleveland.
“I’d probably say it’s 50-50,” Grossi told 850 ESPN Cleveland radio on August 21 of York’s chances to be the Browns’ starting kicker come Week 1. “It should never be that low at this point.”
“This is something that we didn’t foresee as being a problem when camp started. Even his sternest critic felt that, you know, you’re okay there,” Grossi continued. “Hopefully he improves. But look where we’re at. I mean, it’s the major issue on the team. It is the No. 1 issue. I don’t know what they’re going to do, other than they’re moving ahead with him, and we’ll see what happens.”
Mason Crosby Offers Answer for Browns if Team Moves on from Cade York
GettyKicker Mason Crosby, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, is a free agent and a potential option for the Cleveland Browns if they choose to move on from Cade York.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski has voiced support for York at every turn, but sustained inaccuracy during the regular season is sure to bring heat down on the kicker’s head with haste.
The coming campaign is a make-or-break year for Stefanski, and possibly for general manager Andrew Berry as well, as the Browns have made significant investments to carve out a multiyear Super Bowl window they hope begins in 2023. The play of quarterback Deshaun Watson will be the key to unlocking that potential after Cleveland paid him $230 million in fully-guaranteed money and surrounded him with Pro Bowl-caliber talent on essentially every unit on the roster.
But kickers have a disproportionate impact on wins and losses compared to almost every other player on an NFL team, especially when they are missing in crucial moments. It would make sense for the Browns to seek out a reliable performer who is familiar with pressurized situations and has a proven track record of success.
Perhaps the best answer to Cleveland’s kicking woes in that regard is free agent Mason Crosby, formerly of the Green Bay Packers. Crosby became a free agent this offseason and has yet to sign with a team.
For his career, Crosby has connected on 81.4% of his 485 attempts. The 16-year-veteran doesn’t have the kind of range that many of the younger kickers in the league do, but he does have a Super Bowl ring and a history of making meaningful field goals in big games from reasonable distances.
The Browns might be hesitant to part ways with York after using a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to select him. However, putting York on the shelf for a more reliable entity such as Crosby now seems entirely plausible and could even happen before the regular season begins.
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Browns Kicker Cade York Sounds Off After Latest Costly FG Miss