Everything was going great for Cleveland Browns kicker Cade York on Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles until the final moments of the matchup.
With a chance to give the Browns a lead with less than two minutes left, York lined up for a 47-yard field goal. He missed his initial try but got a shot at redemption when the Eagles were flagged for an illegal formation. Instead of redeeming himself, York missed once again from five yards closer, erasing any goodwill he accumulated from making his first three kicks of the game. The Browns and Eagles went on to tie, 18-18.
“Definitely disappointed for that to happen and wanted a shot to get back out there and do something from a long distance,” York said after the game. “‘Just who I am. I kind of want to go back out there. So disappointing, but it’s what it is. Moving on.”
Instagram Post From Cade York at Halftime Causes Stir
What made the miss even worse was the fact that York’s Instagram was updated at halftime with a highlight of him making three kicks in the first half. Players are not allowed on their phones at any time during games.
There’s a chance it wasn’t York doing the posting from the locker room and instead, someone that helps him run social media. But it was a bad look, especially after the missed game-winner.
“Well, when your kicker is on IG at halftime posting that he made a kick in the first half…,” a commenter posted with the screenshot.
Browns beat reporter Zac Jackson of The Athletic weighed in with some commentary on the issue.
“This is just one of those things that does not happen anywhere else,” Jackson tweeted. “York has said before that he doesn’t do his own social media. So who knows what happened but either way it’s just an absolutely not. And not an exaggeration to say they were two minutes from getting out of Philly with pretty good vibes before those misses.”
York later deleted the post after word started to get out that it was creating a stir.
Browns Continue to Back Cade York Despite Struggles
York’s struggles have been well documented this preseason. He missed a kick in each of the Browns first two preseason games against the Washinton Commanders and New York Jets from reasonable lengths and the miss against the Eagles was his latest miscue.
Despite York being off-target the Browns have opted not to start a kicking competition. He’s currently the only kicker on the roster and it’s likely to stay that way.
“We want Cade to make every kick. He’s just got to continue to work through it. Simple as that,” Stefanski said on Friday. “Obviously Cade is our kicker. We support him and have a ton of confidence in him.”
York was a fourth-round pick of the Browns last season, with the hopes that he could be their long-term solution at kicker. At the time, he was the highest-drafted kicker since 2016.
He showed some flashes last season but he was inconsistent, converting 75 percent of his field goals (24-for-32). He also missed a pair of extra points.
Browns Kicker Cade York Deletes Post After Missing Game-Winning Kick