Phil Dawson (NFL) Net Worth 2026

Phil Dawson

Dawson with the Cleveland Browns in 2012
No. 4, 9
Positions	Placekicker, Punter
Personal information
Born	(1975-01-23) January 23, 1975 (age 51) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Listed weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	Lake Highlands (Dallas, Texas)
College	Texas (1993–1997)
NFL draft	1998: undrafted
Career history
Oakland Raiders (1998)* New England Patriots (1998)* Cleveland Browns (1999–2012) San Francisco 49ers (2013–2016) Arizona Cardinals (2017–2018)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
2× Second-team All-Pro (2007, 2012) Pro Bowl (2012) 2nd Team All-American (NEA-1996) First-team All-Big 12 (1996) First-team All-SWC (1994) 1996 Big 12 Champion Southwest Conference Champion (1994, 1995) 1994 Sun Bowl Champion
Career NFL statistics
Field goals made 441 Field goal attempts 526 Field goal % 83.8 Longest field goal 57 Touchbacks 227 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was an All-American college football player for the Texas Longhorns and signed with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 1998. Dawson played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and has the most field goals made for their franchise, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. Dawson signed a contract in 2019 to retire as a member of the Browns.

Dawson was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, but later moved to Dallas, Texas.

He started kicking in middle school when he was one of few players with soccer experience.^[1] He attended Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas from 1989 to 1993 and was a letterman in football. As a senior, Dawson was a starter at both kicker and offensive tackle until hurting his knee in a preseason scrimmage. Dawson thought that he might have had to have season-ending surgery, but he gutted it out, stuck to kicking, and was named as an All-American and the Southwest Region Offensive Player of the Year by SuperPrep. In a 1992 playoff game at Texas Stadium against Nacogdoches High School, he kicked a 52-yard field goal as time expired to beat Nacogdoches 31–28 and Lake Highlands went as far as the Regional quarterfinals where they lost to Temple.^[2]

Dawson attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a four-year letterman in football from 1994 to 1997 and earned a B.A. in political science.

After redshirting his freshman year, Dawson scored 80 points and went a perfect 38 for 38 on extra points, the 2nd most in a single season without missing in school history at the time, in the 1994 season. He continued his streak into his sophomore year and tied a school record with 54 consecutive extra points made. He also had 14 consecutive made field goals, the 2nd most for a freshman in school history. Early in the season, he kicked his first of 9 career 50+ yard field goals with a 50 yarder against Pittsburgh. He was named first team All-Southwest Conference and helped the Longhorns win a share of the Southwest Conference Championship and then win the 1994 Sun Bowl.^[3] He set the freshman school record for points scored in a season (80) and finished 3rd for accuracy (73.7%) by a freshman.^[4]

Going into the 1995 season, he was named to the Playboy Magazine Preseason All-American team.^[5] As a sophomore, Dawson led the Longhorns in scoring, helping them to win the Southwest Conference Championship outright and go to the Sugar Bowl.^[3] In the Sugar Bowl, he kicked a notable game-winning field goal against the University of Virginia, booting a 50-yarder against a 30-MPH wind to give Texas a dramatic 17–16 victory as time expired. It was the 2nd longest field goal in a bowl game in school history and the team's first ever walk-off field goal victory.^[4]

In the offseason, he had a knee operation.^[6]

In his junior year, Dawson scored 108 points, the second most in a season, and the most ever by a placekicker, in school history at the time.^[4] Against Oklahoma State, he scored 17 points setting a school record that would last until 2023.^[4] He made first team All-Big 12 and he helped Texas win the first Big 12 Championship game, make a trip to the Fiesta Bowl and finish ranked 23rd. He led the Big 12 in field goals and kick scoring per game (9 ppg).^[7] He led the team in scoring for the 3rd consecutive year and at the Fiesta Bowl he tied the school record for field goals in a bowl game (3).^[4] He was named a 2nd Team All-American by the Newspaper Enterprise Association and a Lou Groza Award semi-finalist.^[8][9]

In 1997, his senior year, he was a team captain but suffered a series of injuries to his hamstring, pelvis, groin and hip.^[6][3] Against Rutgers he kicked a college career long 54 yard field goal, one of two 50-yard or longer field goals he had that day and part of a streak of six straight 50-yard+ field goals without a miss - a school record at the time.^[4] At the end of the season he was named second-team All-Big 12 and first-team Academic All-Big 12.^[3]

After his final year at Texas, he played in the 1998 Senior Bowl.^[3]

He finished his time at Texas holding 13 school records, including career scoring, with 339 career points, a record that would be broken by Ricky Williams five games into the next season. It wouldn't be topped by another place kicker until 2004. He also held the record for career field goal attempts (79), field goals made (59), consecutive field goals made (15) and field goal accuracy (74.7%) and most of the records would last over 20 years. He was also 2nd for 50+ yard field goals made (9).^[4] He finished his college career ranked 16th on the NCAA all-time scoring list. He was also 12th in kick scoring and 31st in FGMs.^[10]

In 2012 he was entered into the Longhorn Hall of Honor.^[11]

Though considered a potential late round pick, Dawson went undrafted in the 1998 NFL draft. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Oakland Raiders five days after the draft and waived by him after their second preseason game in August in which he missed a 47-yard field goal attempt, but made an extra point.^[12]

He was picked up by the New England Patriots, to fill in for an injured Adam Vinatieri, two days after being cut by the Raiders.^[12] A few days later he kicked the winning field goal in a preseason game against the Redskins.^[13] He played for them in their final preseason game kicking a 27-yard FG and 3 extra points and was then waived the next day.^[14][15] He was immediately signed to the practice squad, out of concern for Vinatieri's health, but never appeared in a game for them.^[16]

The Cleveland Browns signed Dawson as a free agent in March 1999, and he remained with the team for 14 years until he joined the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. It's tied for the 2nd longest consecutive tenure in Browns history.^[17]

He scored the first points in the history of the "new" Cleveland Browns in 1999. On October 10 of that year, he scored the only touchdown of his career on a fake field goal against the Bengals in an 18–17 loss that was also the first rushing touchdown scored by a Brown at Cleveland Browns Stadium. That season he also kicked the first of his walk-off game winning field goals against Pittsburgh to win the game 16-15.^[18]

In 2000 he kicked a game winning field goal against Pittsburgh to give the Browns their first home win at the new Browns Stadium and their first at home in 5 years.^[19]

During the 2003 season he broke Matt Stover's franchise record for most consecutive FGs made (27). In week 14 he broke his arm making a tackle and still finished the game, but missed the last 3 games of the season.^[1] He returned to make his first trip to the playoffs, and only one as a Brown. The Browns lost to the Steelers 36-33 in a game where they were setting up Dawson for a game tying FG, but ran out of time.^[20]

By 2004, Dawson had kicked at least 6 game-winning field goals over his career.^[18]

In 2005, against the Houston Texans, he tied the team record for most field goals in a game with 5. The next year he broke the team record with 6 against the San Diego Chargers. in 2005, he also broker Stover's franchise record for field goal percentage in a season (93.1%).^[17]

In 2007 against the Oakland Raiders he had a potential game-winning field goal blocked; but two months later he kicked a 51-yard field goal, that hit both the upright and the stanchion and was originally ruled "no good" (and led to the "Phil Dawson Rule"), to take the Browns to overtime before also hitting the 33-yard game winner.^[21]he finished 8th for extra point attempts, 9th for extra points made and 10th in scoring in the NFL and was named 2nd team All-Pro by the AP. His 120 points was the 2nd most ever by a Brown at that point.^[17] It was his 4th season with 100 points or more and set the Browns record.^[17]

On November 17, 2008, he hit a 56-yard game-winning field goal, one of five for the night, against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, the longest of his career at that point and the 4th longest in Browns history.^[17] That season he set the Browns record for most field goals in a season with 30 and for most consecutive games with a field goal (15).^[17]

In 2009, against the Detroit Lions, he threw his one and only career pass, a 10-yard strike to Mike Furrey on a fake field goal attempt that earned the team a first down.^[22]

On October 10, 2010, Dawson tied Lou Groza for the Browns' career field-goal record with 234, and then broke it the next week.^[23]

Dawson would have become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2010 season, but the Browns placed the franchise tag on him on July 20th, 2011 instead, keeping him for the 2011 season. He was given the franchise tag again in March 2012.

During the 2011 season he broke his own franchise records for most consecutive games with a field goal(23) and most consecutive field goals made (29).^[17]

In 2012 he broke his own franchise record for field goal percentage in a season (93.5%), made the Pro Bowl. He was named 2nd team All-Pro by the AP again and 1st team All-Pro by the Sporting News and the Pro-Football Writers.

Going into the 2013 season, the Browns chose not to make him a franchise player again as it would have cost them $14 million and so he became a free agent.^[24]

When he left the Browns to play for the 49ers in 2013, he was the only player left from the "original" 1999 Browns squad.

Dawson holds the Browns record for most field goals (305), most field goals in a game (6), most consecutive field goals made (29), most consecutive games with a field goal (23), highest field goal percentage (84%) and highest field goal percentage in a season (93.5%). He finished his career with the Browns with the 2nd most points in Browns history and 3rd for both career games as a Brown and for PATs by a Brown.^[17]

The San Francisco 49ers signed Dawson to replace David Akers on March 19, 2013 for $2.25 million and stayed with them through the 2016.^[25]

In 2013 Dawson went 32 for 36 on filed goals and 42 of 42 for extra points playing for the 49ers on what would be the most successful team of his career. He made 27 consecutive field goals, a franchise record, until the streak was snapped by a 24-yard field goal miss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 - a game in which he later kicked a then career-long 56 yarder and a 40 yard game-winner.^[22] On September 26, 2013, Dawson attempted and missed a 71-yard fair catch kick in the last seconds of the second quarter of a game against the St. Louis Rams; the third longest field-goal attempt in NFL history. Dawson finished his first year in San Francisco with the second-most points (140) and field goals (32-of-36) in a season in the team's history. Dawson kicked the game-winning field goal in the 49ers Wild Card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers on January 5, 2014, giving the 49ers a 23–20 road victory and him his first career playoff win. The 49ers went all the way to the NFC Championship game which they lost by 6 points to the Seattle Seahawks in the last 30 seconds of the game.^[22]

On March 11, 2014, Dawson signed a new two-year contract to remain with the 49ers.^[26] Against New Orleans that season he kicked a field goal to get the 49ers into overtime and the game winner.

Multiple times over his career, Dawson had to fill in as the Punter, with the last one being 2015 when he had to replace Bradley Pinion after Pinion tweaked a calf. Over his career he had 9 punts for 257 yards.^[27] That year he also handed kickoff duties to Pinion, but returned to kick-offs the next season.^[1]

Dawson re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year contract on March 12, 2016.^[28] He made his 400th career field goal on November 20, 2016, against the Patriots.

On March 10, 2017, Dawson signed a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals.^[29]

On September 10, 2017, in the season opening 35–23 loss to the Detroit Lions, Dawson made his debut as a Cardinal, converting two extra points and a field goal in the loss.^[30] In the next game, Dawson converted three field goals, including a 40-yarder to force overtime and a 30-yarder in overtime to win, in the 16–13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.^[31]

On November 26, 2017, Dawson hit a 57-yard field goal with one second left to beat the favored Jacksonville Jaguars. It was the longest made field goal of Dawson's career (although he made a 59-yard field goal during a 2010 preseason game with the Browns).^[32] He converted four field goals in the game, including the 57-yard game-winner, earning him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.^[33]

Dawson became the 11th player in NFL history to appear in 300 career games.^[34]

On November 26, 2018, Dawson was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury.^[35]

On August 1, 2019, Dawson announced his retirement after 21 seasons after signing a one-day ceremonial contract with the Browns to retire as a member of the team. After Dawson's retirement, Adam Vinatieri became the sole remaining active player from the 1990s.^[36]

Dawson had a rule named after him after a missed call by officials. On November 18, 2007, Dawson attempted a 51-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter to tie the game against the Baltimore Ravens. The kick carried through the air and hit the left upright, then went through the uprights (like any good field goal), and then hit the rear curved support post (stanchion) that holds the crossbar, then bounced back over the crossbar (through the uprights again, but backwards this time) into the end zone in front of the goalpost. The kick was originally ruled no good. Under NFL rules, the play was not reviewable.^[39] Officials discussed the play among themselves for several minutes and decided that, since the ball had indeed crossed the crossbar within the goal, whatever happened afterward to the ball did not matter. The kick was considered good, as announced by referee Pete Morelli. However, as the play was not technically reviewable, referee Pete Morelli announced that the play was reversed "after discussion," as opposed to "after further review," as is usually stated. At this point the Ravens, already celebrating in the locker room, as they would have won 30-27 if the field goal was no good, were called back out onto the field to proceed to overtime. The Browns went on to win the game, 33–30 in overtime, as Dawson made a 33-yard field goal, which was more visible this time. Dawson finished four for five in field goals, whereas fellow Lake Highlands High School alumnus Matt Stover finished three for three in field goals for the Ravens.^[40]

Notably, later in the season on December 16, in the snow and wind gusts up to 40 mph, Dawson kicked another field goal, a 49-yarder which was more improbable, that hit the crossbar. This field goal helped the Browns secure an 8–0 victory over the Buffalo Bills in blizzard-like conditions. Hitting this same structure twice in the same season has led some members of the Cleveland press to begin referring to the support post as "The Dawson Bar."^[41]

Prior to the 2008 season, the rule was changed to allow field goal and extra point attempts that hit the uprights or crossbar to be reviewed. This new rule is called the "Phil Dawson Rule."^[42]

Dawson resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Shannon, and their three children: Dru, Beau, and Sophiann. Shannon is a singer-songwriter and produced her first album "Redemption" in 2013.

Dru was the starting quarterback at Vandegrift High School near Austin, and graduated in 2020. As of fall 2023, he was on the roster as a QB at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.^[43]

Beau graduated in 2022 from Lipscomb Academy High School in Nashville where Dawson was the special teams coordinator for the team.^[44] As of fall 2023, Beau is on the roster as a tight end and deep snapper at Lamar University in Beaumont.^[45]

After two seasons and a state title at Lipscomb, Dawson was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at Hyde Park High School in Austin.^[46] On December 5, 2024, Phil Dawson stepped down as the Hyde Park High School Athletic Director and Head Football Coach. His wife, Shannon, also moved on from her position as the Hyde Park High School Director of Athletic Advancement.

Dawson kicks right-footed but throws left-handed.

• Phil Dawson Edge
• 49ers Player Bio Archived January 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine