Patriots legend Adam Vinatieri comes up short in Hall of Fame voting
FOXBORO -- New England Patriots Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri will have to wait at least another year to become a Hall of Famer. Vinatieri was not among the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 announced at Thursday night's NFL Awards show in New Orleans.
Making the cut this year were defensive end Jared Allen, wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, cornerback Eric Allen, and tight end Antonio Gates. While Vinatieri won't be getting a gold jacket this year, he'll automatically advance to the finalist stage for the 2026 voting process.
Patriots fans need no introduction to Vinatieri, the author of some of the most clutch and incredible moments in New England football history. Whether he was making kicks in a driving snowstorm or putting it through the uprights to win a Super Bowl, Vinatieri was as clutch as they come for a decade in New England -- and then 14 more seasons for the Indianapolis Colts.
If any kicker was worthy of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, it's Vinatieri. But he will not be joining the five other kickers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- at least not yet.
Adam Vinatieri's clutch kicks with Patriots
Vinatieri joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1996, and will forever be etched in New England lore thanks to some truly epic -- and absurd -- kicks during the franchise's first dynastic run. While the "Tuck Rule" dominated New England's AFC Divisional Round showdown with the Oakland Raiders in the 2001 postseason, it was Vinatieri's leg that propelled the Patriots to victory that snowy Saturday night in Foxboro.
The driving snow was no match for Vinatieri, as he connected on a seemingly impossible 45-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. He then won the game with a 23-yard field goal in overtime to give the Patriots a 16-13 victory. Not a bad way to close the old Foxborough Stadium.
Two weeks later, Vinatieri was the hero again when he kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Patriots to an improbable 20-17 victory over the heavily-favored St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. It was New England's first Super Bowl -- but not the last title-winning kick by Vinatieri.
Two years later, Vinatieri was at it again in Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Carolina Panthers. He was only 1-of-3 on his field-goal attempts that Sunday, but his one make was another big one: A 41-yarder with four seconds left to give the Patriots a 32-29 victory and the franchise's second title.
The Patriots didn't need any last-second heroics from Vinatieri a year later in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Philadelphia Eagles, but his 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave the team a 24-14 lead, and New England held on for a 24-21 victory for a second straight Super Bowl championship and third in four seasons.
Over his 10 years in New England, Vinatieri connected on 263 of his 321 field goals (81.9 percent) and 367 of his 374 extra points (98.1 percent). He made 26 of his 34 field goal attempts in the postseason.
Vinatieri's 1,158 career points rank second all-time in Patriots franchise history, behind only Stephen Gostkowski and his 1,775 points.
Adam Vinatieri's NFL career
Vinatieri left the Patriots after the 2005 season and spent another 14 seasons kicking field goals for the Indianapolis Colts. He won another Super Bowl with Indy in 2006 when he set a postseason record with 14 made field goals.
Vinatieri retired after the 2019 season at the age of 47, and walked away as the NFL's all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points. He also holds the NFL record for most career field goals made (599), most career field goal attempts (715), most career overtime field goals (11), and most consecutive field goal makes (44).
This year was Vinatieri's first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won't be the only former Patriots kicker on the ballot next year, as Gostkowski is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2026. Former Patriots receiver Julian Edelman will also be on the ballot next year.
