INDIANAPOLIS —Adam Vinatieri has earned tons of accolades throughout his 23-year NFL career. And now he has another prestigious award to add to his mantel:
All-Preseason Team honors.
That recognition is coming from Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness, who named the Indianapolis Colts kicker to PFF's "2018 All-Preseason Team." McGuinness writes:
"The elder statesman of kickers in the NFL, Vinatieri showed that you are only as old as your leg feels with an impressive preseason. He connected on both extra point attempts, and all four field goal attempts, including two from 50-plus yards."
Vinatieri did, indeed, convert all four of his field goal attempts this preseason, as well as all of his extra-point tries, in his warmup to what should be a historic 2018 season, as he has the NFL's all-time points scored and made field goals records well within his sights.
Perhaps most impressively, Vinatieri converted both of his field goal attempts from 50-plus yards this preseason, nailing a 51-yarder in the preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks and then hitting a 57-yard attempt the next game against the Baltimore Ravens.
By the way, that 57-yarder would've tied the longest of Vinatieri's career; he hit a 57-yard field goal as a member of the New England Patriots back in 2002.
The Colts actually had an impressive showing at the kicker position in general this preseason. Rookie Mike Badgley connected on all five of his field goal attempts and all five of his extra-point tries, and also nailed one kick from 50-plus yards, putting a 51-yarder through the uprights in the third preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers.
With room for just one kicker on the roster, however, Badgley was waived during final cuts this past weekend. But his performance during games and in practices likely will get him plenty of opportunities moving forward.
Oh, and speaking of Pro Football Focus, Jacoby Brissett was rated as the second-best overall graded quarterback in the NFL during preseason play by the publication, earning a grade of 90.1:
Brissett completed 35-of-56 passes (62.5 percent) for 395 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in four preseason contests for the Colts.
