Pat McAfee: Chargers' Dustin Hopkins is an 'absolute dawg' for kicking through hamstring injury

"Let’s remember that we’re one-third of the way through the regular season," he began a segment. "We won’t have this come late February, March, and we need to be yearning for the opportunities to watch ... an absolute dawg named Dustin Hopkins."

In the Chargers' 19-16 overtime victory against the Broncos on Monday, Hopkins made all four of his field-goal attempts despite a right hamstring injury suffered during the game. McAfee called it a torn hamstring, but the degree of Hopkins' injury was unclear at the time.

“In [overtime], when push came to shove, Dustin Hopkins did what he did three other times last night,” McAfee continued. “With a torn hammy, [he] puts the ball through the f---ing uprights.” 

According to ESPN's Lindsey Thiry, head coach Brandon Staley said Hopkins has a hamstring strain and will miss two to four weeks.

Hopkins’ injured hamstring kept him out of the team's Week 5 game, and he appeared to re-aggravate that injury during his first, and only, extra-point attempt of the game Monday night. From then on, every field goal dropped Hopkins to his knees in clear agony. 

Hopkins gave an interview about his perseverance and winning kick, set up when Chargers cornerback Ja'Sir Taylor forced Broncos special teamer P.J. Locke into punt returner Montrell Washington, causing a muffed punt.

“Before every kick, you knew that it was going to feel like somebody stabbed you with a knife,” Hopkins admitted, according to Thiry. “I was just kind of committed to swinging and dealing with the pain after the kick.” 

The Chargers will play the Seattle Seahawks (3-3) at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.