History of Adam Vinatieri in Timeline

December 28, 1972

Adam Matthew Vinatieri (born December 28, 1972) is an American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 24 seasons with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri is the NFL's all-time leading scorer at 2,673 points, in addition to holding the NFL records for field goals made (599), postseason points (238), and overtime field goals made (12). He is considered one of the greatest placekickers of all time.

December 28, 1972

Vinatieri was born in Yankton, South Dakota, on December 28, 1972, the second child of four children to Paul Vinatieri and Judy M. (Goeken). His father is of Italian descent and his other ancestry includes German and English. His younger brother Beau was a kicker at Black Hills State University before graduating in 2003.

1991

When Vinatieri was five years old, his family moved to Rapid City, South Dakota. As a child, he struggled to read and enrolled in classes for children with learning disabilities. Vinatieri attended Central High School in Rapid City and was a letterman in football, wrestling, basketball, soccer, and track. In football, he earned first-team All-State honors as a senior. He graduated from Central High School in 1991. Before starting as a kicker, Vinatieri was a quarterback and middle linebacker. When asked in 2005, several years into his NFL career, why he no longer played one of those positions once he reached college, he replied, "I'm 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, and unfortunately the linebackers aren't that small, and neither are the quarterbacks."

1996

In 1996, Vinatieri was signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent to be a kicker. In order to become their starter, he had to compete with 17-year veteran Matt Bahr. Bahr at first seemed to be the favorite. He had a long history with Patriots coach Bill Parcells, including a Super Bowl win under Parcells in the 1990 season. However, Parcells ultimately made the decision to cut Bahr during the preseason and go with Vinatieri, mainly because Bahr was no longer capable of efficiently performing kickoffs.

1996

Vinatieri joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1996, where he played for 10 seasons, and was a member of the Colts for 14 seasons. A four-time Super Bowl winner – three with the Patriots and one with the Colts – he has the most Super Bowl wins for a kicker. He is also the only player to score 1,000 points for two different franchises. Retiring in 2021 after a year in free agency, Vinatieri was the last active player whose career began in the 1990s.

2004

Vinatieri was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for November. In 2004, Vinatieri led the NFL in scoring with 141 points (31-for-33 on field goals, and a perfect 48-for-48 on extra point attempts). In a Week 9 game against the St. Louis Rams, Vinatieri scored 16 points (four field goals and four extra points), and threw a four-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Troy Brown on a fake field goal attempt (that pass gives him a career passer rating of 122.9). For his game against the Rams, he earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In Week 10, against the Buffalo Bills, he scored a career-high 17 points on five field goals and two extra points. He was named to the Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro honors.

2005

By the time Vinatieri finished his final season with the Patriots in 2005, he had kicked 18 game-winning field goals with less than one minute remaining, including the postseason. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, he had a career field goal percentage of 81.9 percent (263/321), fifth-highest in NFL history. In his time in New England, his community involvement included helping Christian athletes, D.A.R.E., and the Governor's Highway Safety Bureau. He was a spokesperson for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island's teen anti-smoking contest, and also appeared in commercials for Boston-based pizza Papa Gino's. Vinatieri finished his 10 seasons with the Patriots as the team's all-time leading scorer with 1,156 points (that record was surpassed by Vinatieri's replacement, Stephen Gostkowski, in 2014). His jersey number 4 was not reissued for the next 14 seasons until quarterback Jarrett Stidham wore it in 2019.

March 22, 2006

After the 2005 season, the Patriots chose not to place their franchise tag on Vinatieri as they had the year before, allowing him to become a free agent. He had met with the Green Bay Packers, but was set on signing in either a warm-weather climate or a team that played home games in a dome. On March 22, 2006, Vinatieri signed with the Indianapolis Colts, replacing Mike Vanderjagt, who signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Vinatieri was signed to a five-year contract and received a $3.5 million signing bonus.

November 18, 2007

During the 2007 season, Vinatieri appeared in all 16 games and was 23 of 29 on field goal attempts and 49 of 51 on extra point attempts for 118 points (both missed PATs were blocked). This season marked his 12th consecutive 100+ point season. He kicked his 20th career game-winning FG in the final minute of a fourth quarter or overtime, this time with three seconds remaining against the Kansas City Chiefs on November 18, 2007. In the postseason that year, Vinatieri extended his NFL career postseason records in field goals (41), attempts (50), points (172) and consecutive games scoring (22).

2009

In July 2009, Vinatieri had surgery on his right hip to alleviate a nagging injury, but the Colts expected that he would be ready for the season. Also, Vinatieri was placed on the injured reserve list for the rest of the season. However, Vinatieri struggled early in the season and complained of soreness in his knee. Doctors found loose cartilage in an MRI, and Vinatieri underwent arthroscopic surgery during the Colts' bye week. Vinatieri was expected to miss four to eight weeks while recovering. During the season, punter Pat McAfee assumed Vinatieri's kickoff duties, something he would continue to do until his retirement after the 2016 season. The Colts signed former Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover to replace him. There was speculation over whether the Colts could cut Vinatieri, but Colts president Bill Polian stated that Vinatieri would return when he was 100% healthy. Due to the injury, Vinatieri appeared in only six games for the Colts in 2009. He returned to the lineup and kicked a field goal but missed an extra point attempt in a Week 15 loss to the New York Jets, but then was inactive for the final game of the regular season as well as throughout the Colts' postseason run. Vinatieri did not play in Super Bowl XLIV, which the Colts lost to the New Orleans Saints. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame First Team All-2000s Team.

March 11, 2014

In Week 11, against the Tennessee Titans, he converted all three extra point tries and all three field goal tries in the 30–27 victory to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In Week 13, against the Titans, he converted all five field goal attempts in the 22–14 victory. In Week 17, Vinatieri converted all three extra point attempts and all three field goal attempts in the 30–10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. In the 2013 season, Vinatieri converted 34 extra point attempts and 35 of 40 field goal attempts. In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, Vinatieri converted all six extra point attempts and two field goal attempts in the 45–44 comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Against the Patriots in the Divisional Round, Vinatieri became the first player in NFL history to convert 50 field goals in the postseason. On March 11, 2014, Vinatieri signed a two-year extension with the Colts.

January 02, 2015

In Week 13 of the 2014 season, against the Washington Redskins, Vinatieri converted a career-high seven extra-point attempts in the 49–27 win. Through Week 16, Vinatieri was 28-of-28 in field goals, and was selected to his third career Pro Bowl in December. In the regular season finale against the Tennessee Titans, Vinatieri converted his first field goal but missed on his second attempt, ending his run at a perfect season. He finished the season 30-of-31 in field goal attempts, and did not miss an extra point try in 50 attempts. He was named to his third career Pro Bowl. On January 2, 2015, Vinatieri was selected by the Associated Press as the First-team All-Pro kicker, his third such selection.

March 08, 2016

On March 8, 2016, Vinatieri signed a two-year, $6 million extension with the Colts. On October 12, Vinatieri was awarded the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award for the 16th time in his career, establishing a new NFL record. In Week 5, against the Chicago Bears, he tied his career-high with 17 points (five field goals and two extra points) scored in the 29–23 victory. In a game against the Tennessee Titans on October 23, Vinatieri kicked his 43rd successful field goal in a row to break the NFL record set by Mike Vanderjagt. Vinatieri was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October. His streak of consecutive successful field goals ended at 44, when he missed a 42-yard kick in the Colts' Week 11 game against the Tennessee Titans. On January 1, 2017, a missed field goal in the season's final game against the Jacksonville Jaguars cost Vinatieri a $500,000 bonus. The bonus depended on Vinatieri finishing the 2016 campaign with a 90% or higher field goal rate. In the 2016 season, Vinatieri converted all 44 extra point attempts and 27 of 31 field goal attempts.

September 10, 2017

On September 10, 2017, Vinatieri started his 22nd season in the NFL in a game against the Los Angeles Rams. In Week 5, Vinatieri went 4-for-4, hitting field goals of 23, 38, and 52 yards, followed by a 51-yard game-winner, in a 26–23 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers, earning him AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He finished the 2017 season converting 22 of 24 extra point attempts and 29 of 34 field goal attempts as the Colts finished 4–12.

October 04, 2018

The 2018 season was one that featured several major milestones and NFL records for Vinatieri. On February 22, Vinatieri signed a one-year contract extension with the Colts through the 2018 season. In the Colts' 2018 regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Vinatieri hit a 51-yard field goal and became the oldest player to hit a field goal of 50 yards or more. In Week 2, against Washington, Vinatieri hit three extra-point attempts to score 2,501 points in his career and became only the second player in NFL history to score over 2,500 points; he also moved into fourth place all-time in extra-point attempts with 828. In Week 3, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Vinatieri connected on an extra point and 3-of-3 field goals, allowing him to tie the NFL record of 565 field goals made by Morten Andersen. In Week 4, Vinatieri hit 4-of-4 extra points and 2-of-2 field goals in a losing effort to the Houston Texans to make him the all-time leader in field goals made. He also surpassed George Blanda, moving him into fourth place all-time in career games played with 341. On October 4, 2018, Vinatieri kicked a 54-yard field goal to break his own record of the oldest player to hit a 50+ yard field goal. He also surpassed Gary Anderson, moving him into second place all-time in field goal attempts with 674. In Week 6, against the New York Jets, Vinatieri scored 10 points, hitting 2-for-2 in field goals and 4-for-4 in extra points, surpassing Anderson and moving into third place all-time in extra-point attempts. In Week 8, against the Oakland Raiders, Vinatieri scored 10 points and became the all-time NFL leader in points scored with 2,550. He earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game against the Raiders. In Week 14, in a win over the Texans, Vinatieri made 3-for-3 extra points to move into second place all-time with 860 and he also connected on a 54-yard field goal to break his own record of oldest player to connect on a 50+ yard field goal. He also became the fourth player in NFL history to play in 350 games. In a Week 17 game against the Tennessee Titans, two days after his 46th birthday, Vinatieri broke his own record with a 53-yard field goal to become the oldest player to kick a 50+ yard field goal and moved into second place for most extra point attempts with 852. He also became the fourth oldest player to play in a game. He finished the 2018 season converting 44 of 47 extra point attempts and 23 of 27 field goal attempts.

2019

Celebrated for his kicking accuracy and success under pressure, Vinatieri completed several of the most crucial field goals in NFL history. During the 2001–02 NFL playoffs, he converted the game-tying and winning kicks of New England's AFC Divisional Playoff game in blizzard conditions and the game-winning kick in the final seconds of Super Bowl XXXVI, earning the Patriots their first championship. He would again convert a final-second kick to win Super Bowl XXXVIII, establishing himself as a key contributor of the Patriots' dynasty. In the 2007 postseason, Vinatieri converted 14 of 15 field goal attempts (which included three field goals in Super Bowl XLI) to set a new record for most field goals in one postseason (Evan McPherson tied the record in 2022). In 2019, Vinatieri was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

September 08, 2019

On September 8, 2019, Vinatieri started his 24th season in the NFL in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He had one of the worst games of his career, as he went 1–3 on field-goal attempts and 1–2 on extra points. In that game he became the third-oldest player in NFL history to play in a game and surpassed Gary Anderson for the second-most games played in NFL history. In the following game against the Tennessee Titans, he missed two more extra points. In Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, Vinatieri rebounded and went a perfect 3 for 3 on extra points and a perfect 2 for 2 on field goals, including a 49 yarder which hit the lower crossbar and barely went over. The 49-yarder also marked the longest field goal ever made by someone his age in an NFL game. In Week 5, Vinatieri made all four field-goal attempts and an extra point in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. With his 701st field goal attempt, he became only the second player to attempt 700 or more field goals, joining Morten Andersen. In Week 8 against the Denver Broncos, Vinatieri made three field goals, two of which were from 50+ yards away, one of which was 55 yards, thus making him the oldest player to make two or more from that distance in a single game, as well as making him the oldest player to kick a field goal of 55 yards or more, in the 15–13 win. He was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance despite having missed a field goal and an extra point within the game. In the following week's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vinatieri missed a potential game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter in the 26–24 loss; this unsuccessful field goal attempt tied him with Andersen for the most field goal attempts in a career. In the next game, Vinatieri became the all-time leader in field goal attempts in a career. On December 9, 2019, the Colts placed Vinatieri on injured reserve after he underwent season-ending knee surgery. Vinatieri finished the year with career-lows in field goal and extra point completion percentage at 68% and 78.6%, respectively. He finished 17 of 25 on field goal attempts and 22 of 28 on extra point attempts.

May 26, 2021

On May 26, 2021, Vinatieri announced his retirement from the NFL after 24 seasons on the daily radio show of former Colts teammate and punter Pat McAfee. He retired as the NFL's all-time leading scorer, as well as the last active player to have played in the 1990s, and the last to play before Tom Brady. His 365 games were the second most by an NFL player all-time, behind Morten Andersen's 382.