Almost a year to the day of his Hall of Fame snub, a right has been wronged for the greatest kicker in NFL history.
On Thursday night, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was announced, and former Patriots and Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was among the five players selected.
This announcement came during the 15th annual NFL Honors show, held in San Francisco, CA as a part of the leadup to Super Bowl LX.
In his second year on the Hall of Fame ballot, Vinatieri enters football’s most exclusive fraternity, one year after the 53-year-old wasn’t granted entry on his first try. He becomes the third pure kicker in NFL history to receive a gold jacket, joining Jan Stenerud (Class of 1991) and Morten Andersen (Class of 2017).
The legend for both the Patriots (1996-2005) and Colts (2006-19) fits the bill of a hall of famer to a tee. His inclusion in Canton was only a matter of time.
When it comes to the NFL record books, the man’s name is all over it:
- All-time leading scorer (2,673 points)
- Most career field goals made (599)
- Most combined regular season and postseason games played (397)
- Most career field goal attempts (715)
- Most consecutive made field goals (44)
- Most seasons with 100+ points (21)
- Most made field goals in a single postseason (14 in 2006)
- Most career overtime field goals (11)
When it comes to his trophy case, it’s brimming with Lamar Hunt Trophies and Super Bowl rings. Vinatieri’s teams won the AFC six times (1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009), going on to win four Super Bowls in six seasons from 2001 to 2006. He was selected to three All-Pro teams, three Pro Bowls, and is a member of both the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. And for Patriots honors alone, he’s a member of their All-1990s Team, All-2000s Team, 50th Anniversary Team and All-Dynasty Team. It goes without saying that he’ll one day receive a red jacket from the Patriots Hall of Fame to go along with his eventual gold one.
On top of all the accolades, Vinatieri has a handful of hall of fame moments that all of us in New England remember well.
While in a Patriots uniform, he was the author of two of the most difficult kicks in NFL history - both taking place in the same game against the Oakland Raiders in the 2001 AFC Divisional Round.
The first was a 45-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, and the second being a 23-yard field goal to close out the old Foxborough Stadium with a 16-13 win, advancing the Patriots to the AFC Championship Game. Both kicks occurred in blinding snow - images forever etched into Patriots lore.
Later that postseason, Vinatieri played hero again, as he kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to beat the St. Louis Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Two years later, he put the hero cape on yet again, kicking another Super Bowl-winning field goal. This time, it was against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII, as Vinatieri was good from 41 with four seconds left, sealing a 32-29 win.
It’s a shame the greatest kicker of all-time was unable to spend his entire 24-year career in New England, and he told WEEI Afternoons last year that he agrees with that sentiment.
And although we like to forget it, Vinatieri’s postseason with the Colts in 2006 is among the most impressive runs any player has ever had at the position, nailing 14 field goals on his way to a fourth career ring. His most impressive game during that run came in the divisional round against the Ravens, where he went into Baltimore and accounted for all 15 of his team’s points, going 5 for 5 on field goal attempts in a 15-6 victory.
Vinatieri bucks the trend of joining a growing list of former Patriots from the dynasty era that have been passed over for football’s highest honor, including the likes of Bill Belichick, Rodney Harrison and Vince Wilfork. For being the team that has defined this millennium of the NFL, their 20-year run of dominance is underrepresented in Canton.
Here’s a full list of all the Patriots in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
- Nick Buoniconti, Linebacker (1962-68)
- John Hannah, Guard (1973-85)
- Mike Haynes, Defensive Back (1976-82)
- Ty Law, Cornerback (1995-04)
- Curtis Martin, Running Back (1995-97)
- Randy Moss, Wide Receiver (2007-10)
- Bill Parcells, Head Coach (1993-96)
- Darrelle Revis, Cornerback (2014)
- Junior Seau, Linebacker (2006-09)
- Richard Seymour, Defensive End (2001-08)
- Andre Tippett, Linebacker (1982-93)
- Adam Vinatieri, Kicker (1996-05)
Only Law, Moss, Revis, Seau, Seymour and Vinatieri represent the Brady-Belichick Era. And if we’re being honest, Revis and Seau have their bronze busts primarily for service time with other organizations. While we know Brady, Belichick and Rob Gronkowski will all inevitably join - until they do, the representation for New England in Canton is embarrassing.
And with Belichick and Robert Kraft’s recent snubs front of mind for fans across the region, Vinatieri’s selection, frustratingly so, serves as a reminder of how few worthy Patriots have their gold jackets.
Here were the four modern era players selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026:
- Drew Brees, Quarterback - San Diego Chargers (2001-05), New Orleans Saints (2006-2020)
- Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver - Arizona Cardinals (2004-2020)
- Luke Kuechly, Linebacker - Carolina Panthers (2012-19)
- Adam Vinatieri, Kicker - New England Patriots (1996-2005), Indianapolis Colts (2006-2019)
In addition to the modern era selections, 49ers legend Roger Craig was selected as the lone inductee from the coach/contributor/senior player ballot. While Hall of Fame voters had the ability to add up to three people to the Class of 2026 from the final five finalists in this category, Craig was the only candidate to receive the required 40 of 50 votes.
That pool of candidates included Belichick, Kraft, Ken Anderson and LC Greenwood.
Vinatieri will be inducted at a ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium with the rest of the Class of 2026 on August 8.
Tune in each and every Monday throughout the football season to Patriots Monday on WEEI. Head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show at 6:30 a.m. ET, and quarterback Drake Maye joins WEEI Afternoons.