Rookie Hopkins wins training camp battle for kicking chores,
Rookie Dustin Hopkins takes over from most accurate placekicker in team history
PITTSFORD, N.Y.— Buffalo’s youth movement continued on Monday when the Bills released veteran kicker Rian Lindell.
Lindell, the most accurate kicker in franchise history, was let go after 10 years in Buffalo. Rookie Dustin Hopkins has won the team’s kicking competition.
“It’s always tough when you have to release a player like Rian Lindell,” coach Doug Marrone said.
Lindell leaves Buffalo with a field goal percentage of 83.3. He connected on 225 of 270 field-goal attempts here.
Lindell’s status with the Bills had been in question the past two years. Buffalo has drafted kickers in each of the past two drafts, Hopkins and John Potter.
Hopkins, 22, had significantly more power on his kicks throughout training camp than Lindell, 36, who relied more on his accuracy and consistency from shorter distances.
“I think in the past 10 days Dustin has performed better,” Marrone said, “so we made a decision to go with Dustin.”
Lindell was the longest-tenured Bill prior to his release. He joined the team as a free agent in 2003 after spending his first three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
“The first guy that I heard from today … was Rian just saying he was wishing me luck.” DUSTIN HOPKINS, REPLACING RIAN LINDELL AS BILLS KICKER
His name is at or near the top of most Bills kicking records. He holds a franchise record for consecutive PATs (225) and is second in team scoring with 980 points. Hopkins had mixed emotions Monday. “I find myself kind of in a paradox,” Hopkins said. “This is something I’ve worked my whole life for . . . but at the same time, it’s kind of the bad part of pro sports, parting with a guy that I’ve got a lot of respect for and have admired watching for a long time, and has meant so much to the community.”
One of Lindell’s first actions after being released was to congratulate Hopkins.
“The first guy that I heard from today before I heard anything was Rian just saying he was wishing me luck . . .,” Hopkins said. “I think that’s just an accurate representation of the kind of guy he is.”