COSTA MESA — It was a nice problem to have while it lasted, and when it came time to pick one kicker over another, Chargers special teams coach Ryan Ficken said Monday he believed they got it right. Cameron Dicker was crowned the winner of a training camp competition with Dustin Hopkins.
Either kicker probably would have excelled in the role for the Chargers this season, according to Ficken. Dicker got the job and Hopkins was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a seventh-round draft pick in 2025. In most respects, it was a win-win for both kickers and both teams.
“We felt he was the right guy,” Ficken said of Dicker.
It wasn’t so long ago that the Chargers seemed to be holding open auditions for the job as a revolving door of kickers came and went, creating a blooper reel of shanks, hooks and slices that proved costly. The Chargers might have been headed in that direction again last season if not for Dicker’s arrival.
Hopkins injured his hamstring and was sidelined after making a game-winning kick in overtime against the Denver Broncos in Week 6. Taylor Bertolet assumed the kicking duties for Week 7 and then Dicker took over in Week 8, making 19 of 20 field-goal attempts and all 22 of his extra points.
It was that reliability coupled with a training camp injury that set Hopkins back last month that ultimately led to Dicker remaining with the Chargers. Hopkins made nine of 10 field goal tries and all 12 extra points, but he was sound enough to play in only five of 17 regular-season games last season.
Advantage, Dicker.
“It’s his approach to the game,” Ficken said of Dicker, who made his NFL debut with the Philadelphia Eagles before signing with the Chargers last season. “He plays like he’s a veteran kicker. Nothing sways him at all. He’s confident in everything he does. He’s consistent in his approach.
“You know what you’re going to get out of him. We’re really excited that he’s still here as a Charger. Even last year there were opportunities where other teams were pushing for him, we’re fortunate that he’s here. It was a great competition between those two guys, I thought they made each other better.”
SPECIAL TEAMS (PART 2)
Ficken said the job of kickoff and punt returner hadn’t been settled, as of Monday. Wide receiver Derius Davis, a fourth-round draft pick out of TCU, appeared to win the job in training camp thanks, in large part, to an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown in an exhibition victory over the Rams on Aug. 12.
But, Ficken said, the job as return specialist hasn’t been won or lost. In fact, there could be one player returning kicks and another returning punts. Running back Elijah Dotson, an undrafted rookie, and wide receiver Alex Erickson, a veteran free agent, could challenge Davis for either spot.
“Obviously, Derius did some good things in the preseason games,” Ficken said. “At the end of the day, we still have to make sure that we’re preparing the other guys, too, on this team that can handle the job because you never know what could happen. Anything can happen. We’re going full throttle with the three returners that we have on this roster, to prepare them to be ready to go on Sunday.”
Wide receiver DeAndre Carter handled both the kick and punt return duties last season, but he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent during the offseason.
INJURY UPDATES
Wide receiver Jaylen Guyton and defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia each worked out on the sidelines as the Chargers returned to the practice field after a three-day break. Guyton and Ogbonnia will each start the season on the PUP list, meaning they’ll be out for at least the first four games.
Linebacker Daiyan Henley, a rookie from Washington State, was absent from the field during the portion of practice open to reporters. Henley suffered a hamstring injury during the Chargers’ exhibition victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 25 in Santa Clara, according to Coach Brandon Staley.