SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A weary Phil Dawson would sit at his locker in the waning weeks of the 2015 season, the San Francisco 49ers placekicker regularly fielding questions as to whether he was going to return for an 18th NFL season.
In no particular order, the 41-year-old Dawson would say, someone would have to want his services and he'd have to have that conversation with his family back home in Texas as to whether he actually, you know, wanted to keep kicking.
Those talks, apparently, are still ongoing. Even as he is coming off another impressive season and he continues to rack up his career accolades.
Consider: He holds the two longest consecutive field goal streaks in 49ers franchise history, converting 27 straight in 2013 and 19 straight this past season, and his 13 field goals of at least 50 yards are the most in 49ers franchise history.
Dawson is also second in league history, among kickers with at least 300 field goal attempts, in making 84.5 percent of his career FGs.
And while Dawson lost his kickoff duties in 2015 to rookie punter Bradley Pinion Dawson's 386 career field goals are tied for the ninth-most in NFL history, with David Akers, and Dawson's 1,611 career points rank 16th in league history.
Reason to re-sign: Um, there's a reason Dawson was voted the team MVP by his teammates, and you don't just let that kind of respected talent walk away, right? RIGHT?!? Seriously, though, Dawson is the consummate professional whose mere presence has helped Pinion develop as a pro.
Reason to let walk: As a rule, you keep kickers around and pay top dollar for them if you think they are one of the final pieces to competing. The rebuilding Niners are not that close to competing.
The verdict?: Unless Dawson is willing to come back on a team-friendly deal, the Niners, who also have rookie kicker Corey Acosta on the roster, should let him walk and continue the rebuild.
