ASHBURN, Va. — The Commanders' kicking job is officially Cade York's. Washington gave Cleveland a conditional seventh round pick in 2025 to the Browns in a trade that brought the 23-year-old to the Commanders in the final week of the preseason.
York kicked in the preseason finale and was a perfect two for two on field goal tries and two for two on extra points.
Earlier this summer, he lost the kicking battle in Cleveland to Dustin Hopkins, who beat York out for the same job in 2023.
York spent time on the Titans and Giants practice squad before suffering an injury. He didn't suit up for a game last year.
"Honestly, it sucked going through that, but I’m so thankful for it," York said. "It brought me to a very new place in my faith."
York was a fourth round draft pick in 2022 and was the full-time kicker for the Browns that season, hitting 75% of his kicks. He said last year was tough, but gave him perspective on life and the sport. The weight on his shoulders this year, he says, feels much lighter than previous seasons.
"Just being able to enjoy football because it’s a blessing and my real job isn’t kicking a football, my real job is being a believer and discipling people," York said. "Now I get to enjoy football almost as a hobby. It’s something I still steward well and still work hard at, but it takes a lot of pressure off.”
Head coach Dan Quinn said York's "really strong leg" sealed the deal.
“He’s a bigger size for a kicker in general, but long levers and he can really rip it," Quinn said. "He’s coming into a pretty good situation. Having Tyler [Ott] and Tress [Way] here are guys who are at the very top of their profession at what they do. If you’re a kicker, these are the guys you want to come in with."
The first game of York's career, he hit a 58-yard game-winning field goal against Carolina in 2022. He's hoping to find a long-term home with the Commanders.