Coming into the 2017 season, Dustin Hopkins was the unchallenged candidate to be the team’s starting kicker. This was a sensible decision given that the Redskins kicker was coming off two straight seasons of making 81 percent or more of his field goals.
However, at the same time, there were some shortcomings with the kicker particularly related to his accuracy from 50-plus yards (5-for-13). When he went down with a hip injury midway through the season, many saw an opportunity for his replacement to win a starting job, provided that he could be accurate from 50-plus yards.