PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The Buffalo Bills have released longtime kicker Rian Lindell.
The 36-year-old Lindell spent the last 10 years in Buffalo and is the most accurate kicker in Bills history with a field goal percentage of 83.3 percent.
The release means that rookie Dustin Hopkins has won Buffalo's kicking competition. Hopkins, chosen 177th overall, has displayed a much stronger leg than Lindell throughout training camp but has battled consistency issues. In two preseason games, Hopkins has been on target with four field goals and three extra points.
Lindell's time in Buffalo had appeared to be coming to an end. The Bills have drafted kickers in each of the past two drafts with the selections of Hopkins and former Western Michigan kicker John Potter.
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