NFL teams
John Keim, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Redskins release kicker Kai Forbath, sign Dustin Hopkins

NFL, Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins apparently won't be giving Kai Forbath a chance to atone for his missed field goal Sunday.

The Redskins released Forbath and signed Dustin Hopkins as his replacement, coach Jay Gruden announced Monday.

The move occurs one day after Forbath missed a 46-yard field goal in Washington's 17-10 loss to Miami. Since the start of the 2012 season, Forbath had made 87.1 percent of his kicks (60 of 69), ranking him 19th in the NFL over that period. He is 26th in accuracy since the 2013 season (84.3 percent), according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Forbath also has struggled on kickoffs, with only 48 touchbacks since the start of the 2012 season.

"We're looking for a stronger leg, especially on kickoffs. That's the bottom line," Gruden said. "We think for the long haul we'd like to get better kickoffs and if a new kicker can be close to him on accuracy for field goals, that will put him over the edge as far as being better."

Hopkins has never kicked in a regular-season NFL game. He was beaten out in New Orleans this year by Zach Hocker, whom Forbath edged the previous summer in Washington. Forbath beat out Ty Long this summer, but he did not have an impressive showing in camp in winning the job.

Buffalo drafted Hopkins in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, but he suffered a groin injury and eventually landed on injured reserve.

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