Adam Vinatieri Announces Retirement After 24 NFL Seasons
BOSTON (CBS) -- Adam Vinatieri has officially called it a career. The 48-year-old, who will forever be remembered for making a pair of Super Bowl-winning kicks for the Patriots, announced his retirement on Wednesday.
Vinatieri, who is the NFL's all-time leading scorer, made the announcement on "The Pat McAfee Show."
Vinatieri won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, making game-winning kicks in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII, as well an amazing boot to lead the Patriots to a Divisional Round win in the famous "Snow Bowl" against the Oakland Raiders in Foxboro.
He signed with Indianapolis in 2006, leaving as New England's all-time leading scorer with 1,156 points. That record stood until 2014 when his replacement, Stephen Gostkowski, surpassed it.
Vinatieri won a fourth Super Bowl ring in his first season with the Colts. He retires with 2,673 points, the most ever scored by one player in NFL history. Vinatieri did not play in 2020 following a disappointing 2019 season where he hit just 68 percent of his field goal attempts and 78 percent of his extra points.
Vinatieri signed with the Patriots after going undrafted in 1996, and went on to play 10 seasons in New England, where he cemented himself as one of the best kickers in league history. He was named to the NFL's 100th anniversary All-Time team in 2019.
He will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.
