Chargers waive kicker Tristan Vizcaino, sign veteran Dustin Hopkins
The Chargers touted Tristan Vizcaino’s leg strength and potential when he made the team this season.
Six games later, they released him.
The rookie was waived Tuesday in favor of veteran Dustin Hopkins, who was let go by Washington last week.
Vizcaino missed five extra points over the past four games. He was six for seven on field-goal tries for the season.
Coach Brandon Staley continually expressed confidence in Vizcaino, including as recently as Monday. But he also noted that the Chargers would “keep all of our options open at that position.”
Hopkins, an eight-year NFL veteran, made three of four field-goal attempts — missing from 51 yards — for Washington against the Chargers in the teams’ season opener last month.
For the year, he is 12 for 14 on field-goal tries and 10 for 12 on extra points.
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He was cut after missing two extra points against Atlanta and badly missing a 42-yard field-goal attempt against Kansas City.
Hopkins had his least accurate season in 2020, missing seven of 34 field-goal tries.
He appeared in 93 games for Washington and is the franchise’s all-time leader in field-goal percentage (84%) and successful kicks from 50 yards and beyond (13).
When he makes his Chargers debut, Hopkins will become the 11th player to kick for the team since the start of the 2017 season.
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