CLEVELAND (AP) — The Chiefs have their regular kicker back. The Browns have temporarily booted theirs.
Harrison Butker will handle kicking duties for Kansas City on Sunday after missing four games following knee surgery while Cleveland has benched struggling kicker Dustin Hopkins for at least this week.
Butker was activated from the injured list on Saturday by the Chiefs (12-1), who also waived Matthew Wright after playing him the past two weeks. Wright made eight of nine kicks, including a game-winning 31-yarder that he banked off the left upright to beat the Los Angeles Chargers last Sunday.
The Browns will also be without tight end David Njoku, who didn’t practice all week with an injured hamstring. He leads the team with five receiving touchdowns.
Cleveland left guard Joel Bitonio is playing after missing two days of practice with a back injury.
Chiefs starting left tackle D.J. Humphries is out with a hamstring injury.
The 29-year-old Butker has been one of the NFL's steadiest kickers in eight seasons for the defending Super Bowl champions. He made 18 of 20 field goals and 21 of 22 extra points before having surgery on his left, non-kicking knee.
Hopkins is in a troubling slump and will be replaced by Riley Patterson, who was signed to the practice squad earlier this week.
Hopkins has missed 6 of 9 field goals in his last five games. The 34-year-old failed on both attempts last week in a loss to Pittsburgh.
The Browns signed Hopkins to a three-year, $15.9 million contract extension this summer after he went 33 of 36 on field goals to help Cleveland make the playoffs last season.
Patterson finished last season with the Browns after Hopkins hurt his hamstring. He made one field goal and went 6 of 7 on PATS.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Tom Withers, The Associated Press
