Chargers' 3 biggest questions after minicamp that must be answered
By Jason Reed
3. Who will the Chargers' kicker be in 2023?
Like the battle for the safety position, this is a question that has to be answered during training camp and the preseason. It is impossible for the Chargers to make a decision on this right now as they have two guys who deserve it and are going to battle it out.
Dustin Hopkins was the first reliable kicker the Chargers have had in some time and that led the team to sign him to a multi-year deal following the 2021 season. Hopkins then battled injuries in 2022 and was not seen again after his heroics on Monday Night Football against the Denver Broncos.
That gave Cameron Dicker a chance to kick for the Bolts and he was great for the team. Dicker did miss a field goal in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Jacksonville Jaguars but he was fairly reliable for the Bolts during the regular season.
This presents an interesting conundrum for the Chargers. On one hand, Dicker is a far cheaper option and the Chargers can save cap space this year and next year if they were to go with Dicker instead of Hopkins.
On the other hand, Hopkins is the more experienced kicker and has a larger track record of success. But in that vein, he is also coming off of a leg injury when his primary job is to kick footballs. That could absolutely impact his success rate moving forward.
It is going to be a tough decision to make and historically, the Chargers have been on the wrong end of these decisions. Thankfully, both options seem to be quality options, so either way the Chargers should get a solid kicker.