The Washington Redskins will enter a crucial stretch of their season with a new kicker. They will place Dustin Hopkins on the short-term injured reserve list and will sign Nick Rose, a source said Tuesday.
It leaves the Redskins with an inexperienced kicker, known as much for the YouTube video of him kicking a field goal from the 5-yard line while doing a backflip at the University of Texas. He also once kicked an 80-yard field goal in practice. But Rose hasn't yet kicked in an NFL game after leaving Texas following the 2015 season.
Atlanta cut him in August 2016 and San Francisco, after signing him to a futures contract in January, released him this summer.
Rose handled the kicking duties at Texas his final two seasons. He made 27 of 38 field goals and 71 of 74 extra points during his college career.
He'll replace Hopkins, in his third season as Washington's primary kicker. Coach Jay Gruden said he learned Monday that Hopkins had possibly been dealing with a right hip rotator muscle strain. Gruden called the injury "pretty significant for a kicker."
Because Hopkins will be on short-term injured reserve, he must miss at least eight weeks. He will be eligible to return for a Dec. 17 game against Arizona
Hopkins is 9-for-11 on field goals this season and missed one of his 13 extra point attempts. After making all but three of his 28 field goal attempts in 2015, he slumped last season and was 34-for-42. But his strong leg has helped on kickoffs: 20 of 27 have resulted in touchbacks.
The timing is tough for Washington. The Redskins (3-2) play at Philadelphia on Monday night followed by games versus Dallas, at Seattle, versus Minnesota and at New Orleans.
The team is also dealing with multiple injuries on defense, notably to corners Josh Norman (rib) and Bashaud Breeland (knee) and lineman Jonathan Allen (Lisfranc). Norman and Breeland might be available Monday.