Phil Dawson, Arizona Cardinals Agree to Contract

Phil Dawson isn't ready for retirement just yet. The veteran kicker will be joining the Arizona Cardinals next season, the team announced Friday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported Dawson was signing with the Cardinals on Thursday. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports confirmed the deal, adding Chandler Catanzaro will not be returning to Arizona.

Dawson, 42, spent the last four seasons in San Francisco. He hit 18 of 21 field-goal attempts in 2016, limited in opportunities by the 49ers' dormant offense.

A 2012 Pro Bowler, Dawson played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999-2012. He has hit at least 80 percent of his field goals for a decade running and has an 84.5 percent career conversion rate, good for 11th-best in NFL history.

In 2016, he became the 10th player in NFL history to hit 400 field goals.

“Part of being a kicker is that you never know (when your opportunities will come),” Dawson told reporters. “You just have to be ready, and whenever your team needs you, you have to go out there and make the most of it. That’s what I’ve tried to do in my career.”

The Cardinals are Dawson's fifth NFL team, including preseason and practice squad stints. He has only played for Cleveland and San Francisco during the regular season, but the Cardinals present him with an opportunity to win. 

Even though the Cardinals fell back to earth last year, they are just one year removed from winning the NFC West and making it to the NFC Championship Game. 

Catanzaro had a disappointing 2016, hitting a career-low 75 percent of his field-goal attempts, leading to the Cardinals' decision to make an upgrade at the position. 

At age 42, Dawson is little more than a stopgap solution for a team that had trouble in special teams last season. But he is a reliable leg who hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. With a number of kickers still playing deep into their 40s—Adam Vinatieri just finished his age-44 season—Dawson could continue to play for another couple of years.