Washington Football Team: Dustin Hopkins pens emotional farewell on Instagram after surprise release

Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera has spoken extensively about accountability and expecting more from his players.

Rivera then came out after Washington’s hard-fought, 14-point loss to Green Bay this past weekend and applauded his team’s effort.

This inconsistency is starting to unsettle an already-on edge fan base and Rivera split more opinions when he released Dustin Hopkins, who, for all his instability, was far from the only player at fault for Washington’s slow start.

In the most predictable sequence of events ever, the post-Hopkins era didn’t get off to a roaring start, as Chris Blewitt’s first FG attempt was blocked and never had a chance if even if it made it past the opposing line.

Blewitt did manage to end on a high note, as he drilled a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter to officially commence his reign as the new kicker in town.

What also signaled a new era? Hopkins penning an emotional farewell to the organization, its fan base and his teammates on Monday.

Dustin Hopkins has bid farewell to the Washington Football Team.

"“Our time here has been a blessing to my family and I,” Hopkins wrote. “We’ve experienced a lot of highs and lows together – I’m grateful for all of those memories and every moment in between. Many of those trials and successes have helped to shape me as a man and for that opportunity I’m extremely thankful.“Thank you to the team’s ownership, the front office, and numerous coaches … I want to especially thank my teammates for their belief, support, trust and friendship.”"

Being the awesome teammate he is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Hopkins dedicated a full page to his offensive line and the four long-snappers (Rick Lovato, Andrew East, Nick Sundberg, and Camaron Cheeseman) he worked with over his six-plus-year stint in Ashburn.

"“Nick, Cheese, Andrew and Rick – ‘It all starts with the snap!’ Thank y’all for your friendships, hard work, and for the memories of a lifetime,. Snapping is often an overloked position — people on the outside have no idea the skill and consistency needed to actually do it at such a high level. Great snapping makes my job so much easier. I could not have done it without you fellas."

Is it getting musty in here for anyone else? Hopkins really wanted to tug on fans’ heartstrings in this farewell letter.

In all seriousness, this is class personified from Hopkins, who also committed a separate slide to punter Tress Way, his teammate for all six seasons.

During that span, Hopkins attempted 194 field goals. He drilled 163 of them, good for an 84% conversion rate. The former Florida State standout made 94.2% of his extra-points over his career as well.

Hopkins was a polarizing figure amongst Washington fans, and understandably so, but, as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

A large population of fans have gotten what they wished for, and only time will tell if it was the right move to move on from Hopkins, who had made nearly 86% of his FGs this season before his surprise release.

Regardless of your opinion on Hopkins, we think we speak for all fans when we say THANK YOU for your service to the club.