Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri will almost surely have a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio one day. He's going to have to retire at some point first, though, and that may not be happening anytime soon. Between now and the day he retires, all Vinatieri can do is add to his legend.
On Sunday, he did just add, passing Hall of Famer Morten Andersen to become the NFL's all-time leading scorer with 2,547 points. The record-setting score was a 25-yard field goal late in the second quarter against the Oakland Raiders.
L-E-G-E-N-D.
— NFL (@NFL) October 28, 2018
Congrats, @adamvinatieri! The NFL's new all-time leading scorer! 🐐 pic.twitter.com/0e83AUHftd
2,547 points.
— NFL Throwback (@nflthrowback) October 28, 2018
Your new all-time leading scorer in @NFL history: @Colts K Adam Vinatieri.
Congratulations @adamvinatieri! pic.twitter.com/0ozrHrsgv0
Fittingly, Andersen himself recorded a tribute video for Vinatieri, congratulating the longtime Colts and Patriots kicker for breaking both his scoring record and his field goal record.
With 2,547 points, Adam Vinatieri has scored the most points in @NFL HISTORY!
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 28, 2018
Hear from HOFer Morten Andersen who formerly held the record: pic.twitter.com/bhhWaniHob
Andersen wasn't the only one ready with a congratulatory message. Former Colts teammates Pat McAfee (who served as Vinatieri's holder for a while as well), Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis, Dwight Freeney, and Jeff Saturday, former Patriots teammate Tom Brady, as well as former Colts coaches Tony Dungy and Bruce Arians, former Colts GM Bill Polian, and current Colts coach Frank Reich, also wished Vinatieri well on his achievement.
Peyton Manning, @PatMcAfeeShow, @TonyDungy and more congratulate @AdamVinatieri on becoming the all-time leading scorer. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/8LSqSLG964
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 28, 2018
Vinatieri has been doing this since 1996, which, as the CBS broadcast of the Colts-Raiders game noted, is longer than his teammate Nyheim Hines has been alive. During that time Vinatieri has nailed 573 field goals and 826 extra points.