The Miami Dolphins agreed to terms for a contract with long snapper Joe Cardona, the team announced on Friday.
The veteran long snapper spent the first 10 years of his NFL career with the New England Patriots. After four years at Navy, Cardona was selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft by former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. He immediately became a staple of the special teams unit and was often lauded for his leadership throughout his decade in New England.
Despite being named a team captain for the first time last season, the Patriots released Cardona on Tuesday. The writing was on the wall after New England selected his successor, Vanderbilt long snapper Julian Ashby, in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Tom Brady’s last Patriots teammate signs with AFC East rival Dolphins
Cardona’s departure signals the end of an era in New England. The 33-year-old was New England’s longest-tenured player and the last remaining remnant of the Patriots dynasty. He was also the last player on the roster who had been teammates with Tom Brady.
The Patriots have made a clear effort to purge the roster of players from prior coaching regimes as they attempt to establish a new culture under head coach Mike Vrabel.
“I think anytime that you have to move on from players that have been at a place and that have been a part of successful football teams, it just comes down to our ability to acquire a player that we believe in strongly, and we just felt like that was the best decision to go with Julian [Ashby],” Vrabel said during his media availability on Friday, per Patriots reporter Kaley Brown. “We’re going to have two young kickers that we’re going to be trying out, and after working Julian out, I think it became evident that that was probably what was in the best interest of the team.”
The Patriots previously released longtime veterans David Andrews and Ja’Whaun Bentley, while allowing cornerback Jonathan Jones and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. to walk away in free agency. Safety Kyle Dugger, a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, is now the Patriots longest-tenured player.
During his decade in New England, Cardona played in 160 regular season games and 13 postseason games, including the franchise’s last two championship victories in Super Bowl LI and LIII. He made 140 consecutive starts to begin his career before suffering a torn tendon in his foot in 2022, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
The Dolphins have had no qualms about picking up the scraps. Cardona will join several of his former teammates in Miami, including kicker Jake Bailey and tight ends Pharoah Brown and Jonnu Smith.
