Age 43 and Still Kicking, Adam Vinatieri Plans on Playing Next Season

According to ESPN’s Mike Wells, Indianapolis Colts longtime kicker Adam Vinatieri plans on continuing his playing career next season:

"“For me I’ve always said I want to do it as long as I’m an asset, not a liability,” said Vinatieri. “I feel like I can still do it at a high level and I still love it.”“Maybe my first few years it might have been more about money, it’s not about that anymore,” added Vinatieri. “I don’t play the game for that at all now.”"

Despite being 43 years old, Vinatieri still remains one of the NFL’s best kickers. This past season, Vinatieri was 25 for 27 kick attempts (92.6%) and 32 of 35 extra point attempts (91.4%). In a league where reliable kickers are few and far between, Vinatieri continues to be elite.

However, while he appears to be comfortable with the Colts, Vinatieri is set to become a free agent after a $2.755 million cap hit in 2015. Barring something unforeseen, both parties likely want to continue their relationship however.

The 20-year veteran has spent his last 10 seasons with the Colts and remains a veteran leader and fan favorite of the team. With Vinatieri still kicking at a high level, the Colts would be wise to get a new deal in place.

For Vinatieri, as a 3x Pro Bowler, 3x First-team All-Pro, and 4x Super Bowl Champion, there’s little else for him to actually accomplish.

However, currently the NFL’s 3rd all-time career scoring leader behind kicking greats Morten Andersen (2,544 career points) and Gary Anderson (2,434 career points), Vinatieri at 2,253 career points is hoping to catch and surpass his fellow elite kicking counterparts:

"“Now it’s about I kind of want to catch Mort and Gary,” Vinatieri concluded. “They’re way out in front of me. It’ll take me a long time. We’ll see how it goes. I say that with all due respect for those two guys. I’ve always said I want to win another Super Bowl. There are no guarantees. We’ll see where it goes.”"