The Browns have waived McLaughlin, Dan Labbe of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Analysis: The team also waived Chris Blewitt, moves prompted by the Browns' selection of fellow kicker Cade York in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. McLaughlin, who made 15 of his 21 field-goal attempts and 36 of 37 extra-point tries in 2021 (his only season with Cleveland) will now look for an opportunity to compete for a roster spot elsewhere.
May 2, 2022 12:18 PM EST
McLaughlin will be challenged for the starting placekicker job after Cleveland selected Cade York in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Analysis: McLaughlin appeared to stabilize the Browns' kicking woes early in 2021 but faded in the second half. He converted 6-of-12 field-goal attempts from Week 7 and beyond and finished just 4-of-10 from between 40 and 49 yards. Enter York, the first kicker drafted and considered the top one on the board, who was successful on 15-of-18 attempts for LSU last season, including 5-of-7 from beyond the 50-yard line. McLaughlin enters offseason activities as the incumbent, but the job will be York's to lose.
May 1, 2022 8:07 AM EST
Cleveland re-signed McLaughlin on Tuesday.
Analysis: McLaughlin wasn't initially tendered a contract for the 2022 season, but the Browns have now re-signed him as a free agent. He served as the team's starting kicker in 2021, when he made his first nine field-goal-attempts of the year but then went 6-for-12 down the stretch.
Apr 5, 2022 7:12 AM EST
McLaughlin became an unrestricted free agent Wednesday after the Browns elected not to tender him a contract for 2022, Brandon Little of SI.com reports.
Analysis: McLaughlin operated as Cleveland's kicker during the 2021 campaign and made his first nine field-goal attempts of the season, but he went 6-for-12 on field goals down the stretch, with all six misses coming between 40 and 49 yards. The 25-year-old has already kicked for six NFL teams since going undrafted out of Illinois in 2019.
Mar 16, 2022 10:20 PM EST
McLaughlin did not attempt a field goal and converted all three extra-point kicks in Week 18's 21-16 win over the Bengals.
Analysis: McLaughlin converted his final seven kicks, all extra points, of the season, but a spate of misses leaves his hold on the job tenuous. A waiver wire pickup in the offseason, the 25-year-old McLaughlin won the job out of camp and initially stabilized Cleveland's shaky kicking game before cracks emerged during the second half of the season. He made 15 of 21 field-goal attempts and missed six of 10 between 40 and 49 yards. There's a reason why he's been with six organizations in six NFL seasons. The Browns are likely to hold a competition next summer, which could include McLaughlin if they choose to re-sign him. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry did not rule out drafting a kicker, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal reports, and the team signed kicker Chris Blewitt to a reserve/future contract.
Jan 11, 2022 6:37 PM EST
McLaughlin successfully converted two extra-point kicks and did not have a field-goal attempt in Monday's 26-14 loss to the Steelers.
Analysis: McLaughlin returned to action after missing a week while on the reserve/COVID-19 list. While he managed avoid a missed kick for the first time in five games, McLaughlin is on thin ice entering the offseason. There have been too many missed kicks for a team whose offense has averaged just 16.9 points per game over the last 11 games.
Jan 4, 2022 6:02 AM EST
McLaughlin (illness) has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Analysis: In a corresponding move, the Browns released Chris Naggar -- who filled as Cleveland's kicker in Week 16 -- from their practice squad. McLaughlin is currently on track to return to action Monday night versus the Steelers. Meanwhile, Chris Blewitt was added to the team's practice squad Wednesday.
Dec 30, 2021 9:19 AM EST
McLaughlin has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, per Scott Petrak of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram.
Analysis: According to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, McLaughlin is in line to land on the reserve/COVID-19 list, with Chris Naggar slated to come up from the team's practice squad in advance of Saturday's game against the Packers. Look for the anticipated moves to be made official later Friday.
Dec 24, 2021 8:47 AM EST
McLaughlin will be the Browns' kicker for Week 16 against the Packers, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "Chase is our kicker," Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday.
Analysis: McLaughlin's slump will not cost him his job at this time. Speculation has been ramping up the last several weeks, as the kicker made just four of nine field-goal attempts the last six weeks with all five misses coming from 40-49 yards. That includes a big miss Monday in a 16-14 loss to the Raiders. The Browns have kicker Chris Naggar on the practice, if Stefanski decides to make a switch.
Dec 23, 2021 5:57 AM EST
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski did not say if the team is considering replacing McLaughlin, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "I am not going to get into any roster-type things like that," Stefanski said. "Chase understands that he has to make those kicks. He puts as much pressure on himself as anybody else. He wants to come through, and we are counting on him."
Analysis: McLaughlin's miss of a 47-yard field-goal attempt turned out to be crucial in Monday's 16-14 loss to Las Vegas. It looked like McLaughlin was the answer to the Browns' recent kicking woes early in the season, but cracks started form in Week 7. The kicker, who is with his sixth organization, has made 15 of 21 attempts, including just four of nine from 40-49 yards, with all the misses coming since Oct. 21.
Dec 22, 2021 3:11 AM EST
McLaughlin missed his lone field-goal attempt and converted two of two extra points in Monday's 16-14 loss to Las Vegas.
Analysis: After nailing an attempt that was wiped out by the Raiders' late timeout call, McLaughlin missed wide right on a 41-yard attempt as time ran out in the first half. That would have made it a 10-3 game heading into the second half. He's misfired on field goals in five of the last six games, going 4-of-9 during the stretch. Some of the misses put the Browns in a more difficult position, but McLaughlin's miss Monday was the first one that can be argued cost Cleveland a win. The coaching staff has stuck by the struggling kicker, but they may have to make a change.
Dec 21, 2021 5:23 AM EST
McLaughlin and the Browns will no longer play the Raiders on Saturday, after the NFL officially rescheduled the matchup between the two teams for Monday at 5 p.m. ET.
Analysis: Due to ongoing COVID-19-related issues within the Cleveland organization, the NFL is hopeful that by delaying the game two days, the Browns will restore enough players from the reserve/COVID-19 list to alleviate depth concerns on the roster.
Dec 17, 2021 4:16 PM EST
McLaughlin will remain the Browns' kicker according to head coach Kevin Stefanski, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Analysis: McLaughlin started the season strong, making his first nine field-goal attempts on the year. Since then he has made just five of 11 attempts, bring his made field-goal percentage down to 75 percent on the season. If his woes continue, it seems unlikely he'll retain his coach's confidence for much longer.
Dec 13, 2021 11:20 AM EST
McLaughlin converted one of two field-goal attempts and three of three extra-point kicks in Sunday's 24-22 win over Baltimore.
Analysis: McLaughlin misfired on a 41-yard attempt, which clanged off the upright early in the fourth quarter. Had the Ravens converted a subsequent two-point attempt, the game could have been tied at 24. It was the third consecutive game he's missed on an attempt between 40 and 49 yards, and McLaughlin's made just four of nine (44 percent) field goals from that distance. He also missed an extra point during that wobbly three-game stretch. None of the misses are the culprit in losses, but there are a couple that could have made Cleveland breathe easier. The Browns resuscitated faint playoff hopes with the Week 14 win, and one wonders if McLaughlin's shakiness might prompt a change.
Dec 13, 2021 4:20 AM EST
McLaughlin will perform with a new holder due to punter/holder Jamie Gillan (COVID-19) being unavailable for Sunday's game against the Ravens, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Analysis: The Browns signed veteran punter Dustin Colquitt on Friday, when he joined them for practice and served as McLaughlin's holder. It may not be a big deal, but the new holder introduces a layer of uncertainty to the field-goal and extra-point packages. More so than the new holder, McLaughlin could be hampered by a Browns' offense that produced just nine field-goal attempts and 14 extra-point kicks over the last seven games.
Dec 11, 2021 4:44 AM EST
McLaughlin was successful on one of two field-goal attempts and made his lone extra-point kick in Sunday's 16-10 loss to the Ravens.
Analysis: McLaughlin failed to convert a 46-yard attempt on Cleveland's opening drive, his third missed kick over the last two games. When asked about the kicker by reporters this week, special teams coach Mike Priefer said he was confident in McLaughlin, whose previous misses were not a factor in games. That changed Sunday. McLaughlin's now under 80 percent on field goals -- 14 of 18 -- and more questions could arise. When the Browns' sputtering offense gets in range, it's vital they come away with points. The team is on a bye Week 13, which gives them plenty of time to evaluate McLaughlin and seek alternatives.
Nov 29, 2021 4:07 AM EST
Cleveland special teams coach Mike Priefer said he remains confident in McLaughlin despite recent misses, Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram reports.
Analysis: McLaughlin's been accurate all season and none of his misses have been the reason for a loss, so it would be a surprise if the Browns moved on from him. He missed a field-goal attempt and had an extra-point kick blocked last week against the Lions, which Priefer told Petrak was the result of low kick and not the protection. McLaughlin's made 13 of 16 field-goal attempts (81.2 percent) and 25 of 26 extra-point kicks (96.2 percent) in 2021.
Nov 26, 2021 8:00 AM EST
McLaughlin missed his lone field-goal attempt had made one of two extra-point kicks in Sunday's 13-10 win over Detroit.
Analysis: In another game that's become increasingly normal for McLaughlin, the kicker did not have a lot of opportunities to put points on the board. That means every attempt is vital. He missed wide right on a 46-yard field-goal attempt, and the missed extra point was blocked. It was not ideal weather conditions for an offense, but Cleveland's scored 17 points or fewer in five of the past six games, rendering McLaughlin a lower-tier kicking option for fantasy managers.
Nov 22, 2021 4:09 AM EST
McLaughlin did not attempt a field goal and made his lone extra-point kick in Sunday's 45-7 loss to New England.
Analysis: The Browns' offense has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, and not much was expected from it Week 10 when Cleveland was missing its top two running backs. He's been spot-on when asked to kick, making 13 of 15 field-goal attempts and all 24 extra-point kicks, but McLaughlin ranks 17th in kicker scoring with 63 points and 20th with 15 FGA.
Nov 15, 2021 5:40 AM EST
McLaughlin converted two of three field-goal attempts and five extra-point kicks in Sunday's 41-16 win over the Bengals.
Analysis: McLaughlin's endured a very few scoring opportunities the previous three weeks, scoring just 11 points, but he matched that total in Sunday's win. The game was the best Cleveland's offense looked in weeks. McLaughlin, a journeyman placekicker, has performed well for the Browns, nailing 13 of 15 field-goal attempts and all 23 extra-point kicks.
Nov 7, 2021 7:32 PM EST
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