Adam Vinatieri Intends To Play In 2018

Veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri intends to continue his career in 2018, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The 45-year-old Vinatieri will become an unrestricted free agent in March, as his previous two-year deal with the Colts has expired. It’s unclear if Vinatieri has any interest in receiving offers from other clubs, or if Indianapolis wants to retain its longtime placekicker, but given that he’s spent the past dozen years with the Colts, a return seems likely. Vinatieri had been earning $3MM annually, a figure which placed him just inside the top 10 contracts at kicker.

Vinatieri’s field goal percentage has been dwindling ever since he hit a career-high 96.8% of his kicks in 2014 — this past season, Vinatieri made 85.3% of his attempts, good for 13th in the NFL. However, Vinatieri converted five kicks of 50+ yards (the second most of his career), and missed only two extra points.

If he does hit the open market, Vinatieri will join a free agent class of kickers that also includes Matt Bryant, Graham Gano, Kai Forbath, and Sebastian Janikowski, among others.