At age 43, Adam Vinatieri is kicking better than ever.
So why not think about keeping it going for years and years?
The Colts kicker was 5-of-5 on field goals yesterday, leading his team to a win over the Bears. Included in that total were 53- and 54-yarders, proof there’s still plenty of life in that leg. He’s hit 38 straight field goals, not missing since Sept. 21, 2015, which is the third-longest streak ever. He has also hit 68 of his last 71 attempts (95.8 percent) since 2014.
“The guy’s chasing,” Colts long snapper Matt Overton said, via Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star. “There’s a reason you see him so determined. He wants to be the No. 1 all-time points scorer. He wants that title.”
“I know it for a fact. He wants to be the best. In all of our eyes, we think he is the best. But I know in his mind he’s never satisfied until he gets another [Super Bowl] ring or that scoring title.”
At the moment, Vinatieri is third on the scoring list with 2,304. Gary Anderson is second with 2,344, meaning Vinatieri should pass him this year. The top scorer all-time is Morten Andersen at 2,544, and at his current rate, Vinatieri would likely need to play into 2018 to catch him.
And there’s nothing to suggest he can’t, as he hasn’t lost leg strength.
“He’s still making 60-yard field goals in practice every day. It’s no problem,” Colts punter Pat McAfee said. “I think he wants to continue to be just a dominant force. Not just good for 43, not just good because he’s the greatest of all time. He wants to be the best in the game still, and it’s apparent every time he kicks a football.”
It was on Sunday, as he continues to chase records, looking more and more like he’s going to catch them.