Adam Vinatieri, widely regarded as the greatest kicker in NFL history, on Thursday was announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Modern Era Class of 2026.

Vinatieri will take his spot in Canton in his second year of Pro Football Hall of Fame eligibility. He's only the third player to only play kicker to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen.

"Adam Vinatieri is one of the most accomplished athletes football or any other sport has ever seen, and he is unequivocally the greatest kicker in NFL history," Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon said. "His iconic, game-winning kicks, his multitude of league records and his amazing longevity are legendary, and now, they have rightly earned him a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We send our congratulations to Adam and his family, and we can't wait to join with Colts Nation in celebrating this phenomenal achievement."

Over 24 seasons – 10 with the New England Patriots (1996-2005) and 14 with the Colts (2006-2019) – Vinatieri became the NFL's all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points; no player in NFL history has made more regular season field goals than Vinatieri's 599. He connected on an NFL-record 44 consecutive field goals between the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Colts, and no player had more seasons with 100 or more points scored than Vinatieri (21).

Vinatieri's legendary reputation was built not only on the volume of kicks he made, but in his consistent ability to deliver on some of the biggest kicks in NFL history. With the Patriots, Vinatieri famously connected on last-second game-winning field goals to clinch Super Bowl XXXVI and Super Bowl XXXVIII; in the 2006 playoffs, Vinatieri connected on 14 field goals to help push the Colts to earn their first Indianapolis-era Lombardi Trophy.

MORE ON ADAM VINATIERI'S CALL TO THE HALL OF FAME:

• 🎧Out now: Instant Reaction Podcast (Watch on YouTube, subscribe to Indianapolis Colts Podcasts to download on your device)
• 📻 Friday: The Last Word on 93.5/107.5 The Fan with Matt Taylor & Casey Vallier
• **🎥 Catch up: One-on-one with Adam Vinatieri on The Colts Show Podcast**

Vinatieri is the NFL's all-time leader in postseason points scored (238), postseason field goals made (56) and postseason extra points made (70).

Those clutch moments weren't confined to just the playoffs, too. No player has connected on more field goals in overtime than Vinatieri (10), and he connected on 28 game-winning field goals in the final minute of the fourth quarter or in overtime.

With the Colts, Vinatieri played in 205 games, the fourth-most in team history. He's the only player in NFL history to connect on at least 250 field goals and score 1,000 points with two different teams. He's one of five players in NFL history to appear in a game at the age of 46 or older.

Vinatieri earned first-team AP All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors in 2002, 2004 and 2014, and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-2000s first team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors 19 times – more than any kicker in league history – and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month five times.