Browns Legends to welcome new member in 2024

Phil Dawson, a placekicker, joined the Cleveland Browns Legends on Tuesday, adding one player to the team.

At Cleveland Browns Stadium, the team will commemorate Dawson during a halftime ceremony before their Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants.

Dawson joined the Browns as a free agent in 1999 and played for them for 14 of his 20 NFL seasons. In his rookie campaign, Dawson’s field goal conversion percentage of just 66.7 percent would have likely resulted in his dismissal if he were still playing.

It was never in question, but is now official.

Phil Dawson: Browns Legend pic.twitter.com/NeLxV73J93

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) June 18, 2024

After that difficult beginning, he calmed down and finished his career with the Browns, making 84 percent of his field goals while playing for them, and 83.8 percent overall, including two years spent with the Arizona Cardinals and four years with the San Francisco 49ers.

Dawson gained popularity throughout time because he was frequently one of the few bright spots after many disappointing seasons. Despite having a slow start to his career, Dawson claimed he would hope of being listed among the Cleveland Browns’ finest players (quote via clevelandbrowns.com):

“I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t ever dream about it. You see these things through the years, and you get to know some of these former players, and you look up to them, and you start dreaming like, man, I want to be one of those guys someday. And that certainly was me. And it’s not about me. I want to represent the Browns and to have a chance to come back home and be recognized like this is about as humbling recognition as I’ve ever received, and it’s all because of the way I love Cleveland and I love the Browns organization. So, it’s as impactful of recognition as I’ve ever received and it just kind of blows me away, to be honest.”

Dawson signed a one-day contract in 2019 to retire with the Browns. He is second on the franchise list with 1,271 points, third in games played with 215, and second in most field goals in a season with 30. He holds franchise records for:

• most career field goals (305)
• highest career field goal percentage (84.0)
• highest field goal percentage in a season (93.5 in 2012)
• field goals in a game (six on Nov. 5, 2006)
• most consecutive field goals made (29)
• most consecutive games with a field goal (23)
• Dawson is also the only placekicker in franchise history to be selected for the Pro Bowl. (Hall of Famer Lou Groza made the Pro Bowl nine times, but as a tackle, not a placekicker.)

All told, Dawson played in 305 career regular-season games and currently ranks seventh in games played, eighth in field goals made (441), 11th in points scored (1,847), and 16th in field goal percentage (83.8).