Adam Vinatieri Chosen For Pro Football Hall of Fame
INDIANAPOLIS – Can you tell the story of the National Football League without Adam Vinatieri?
Of course not.
That old saying when evaluating players for the Pro Football Hall of Fame has led to Vinatieri being an extremely deserving choice for Canton, Ohio.
“Adam Vinatieri is one of the most accomplished athletes football or any other sport has ever seen, and he is unequivocally the greatest kicker in NFL history,” Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in a team release. “His iconic, game-winning kicks, his multitude of league records and his amazing longevity are legendary, and now, they have rightly earned him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We send our congratulations to Adam and his family, and we can’t wait to join with Colts Nation in celebrating this phenomenal achievement.”
On Thursday night, Vinatieri joined the 2026 Hall of Fame Class, alongside modern-era choices Drew Brees (1st ballot), Larry Fitzgerald (1st ballot), Luke Kuechly. Per Indianapolis Hall of Fame selector Mike Chappell, Reggie Wayne didn’t crack the top-10 of the finalists list. This was Wayne’s 7th time on the ballot.
Vinatieri played 24 years in the NFL, still holding NFL records for most points scored (2,673), field goals made (599) and attempted (715).
More than those numbers though, Vinatieri’s immediate induction into the Hall of Fame is because what he routinely did when the game was on the line, particular on the biggest stage.
Game-winning Super Bowl kicks from 48 yards in Super Bowl XXVI and then another from 41 yards in Super Bowl XXXVIII is what Vinatieri is most known for.
Arguably his most impressive kick though was a 45-yarder in the snow to send an AFC Divisional Round game into overtime against the Oakland Raiders. Don’t forget a 2017 extra point in a Buffalo snowstorm to also send the Colts into overtime with the Bills.
No NFL player has made (56) or kicked (69) more field goals in postseason history either. Vinatieri played 32 playoff games, to go along with his 14 years playing for the Colts and 10 years with the Patriots.
Debating the importance of a kicker is certainly a topic that will stir up a variety of opinions.
But in the rich history of the NFL, no kicker has deserved more of an honor than Vinatieri.
