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Kicker Adam Vinatieri, the NFL’s all-time scoring leader, announced his retirement Wednesday after 24 seasons.

The 48-year-old future Hall of Famer made the announcement on the “Pat McAfee Show” saying: “By Friday, if paperwork goes in, you heard it here first,” he told McAfee, a former Colts’ teammate.



Vinatieri was unsigned last season. He suffered a knee injury at the end of the 2019 season and was placed on the injured reserve by the Colts. He had surgery prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but did not play in 2020.

Vinatieri holds several records including career field goals made (599), points scored (2,673) and consecutive field goals made with 44. His longest career field goal was from 57 yards, and his field-goal percentage is 83.8 percent. He also has been part of 231 regular-season victories, the most in league history.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro (2002, 2004, 2014), Vinatieri played on four Super Bowl-winning teams (three for New England, one with Indianapolis). Vinatieri made 29 game-winning kicks in his career, highlighted by a game winner for the Patriots in blizzard-like conditions vs. Oakland in the 2001 AFC playoffs as well as game-winning field goals in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII.

He also owns the NFL record for most field goals made in the postseason (56).

Vinatieri, who went undrafted out of South Dakota State in the 1996 NFL Draft, joined the league that same season with the New England Patriots, where he stayed through the 2005 season. He signed with the Colts in 2006, where he played through the 2019 season.



–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)