Hall of Fame voter also surprised at Adam Vinatieri’s exclusion from 2025 class
"I have no idea why he didn't make it because everything said about him was positive, as it should have been and will continue to be."
No kicker has made as many important kicks in NFL history than Adam Vinatieri. But that, along with the former Patriots kicker’s historic longevity, wasn’t enough for him to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
Vinatieri was passed over for induction as part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, it was announced Thursday. Only four ex-players (Eric Allen, Jared Allen, Antonio Gates, and Sterling Sharpe) were voted for induction later this year, making it the smallest Hall of Fame class since 2005.
Many were surprised by Vinatieri’s exclusion from the 2025 class, including one of the 50 voters from the committee.
“Everyone knows Vinatieri is the best clutch kicker in history and was worthy of election in his first year of eligibility. I have no idea why he didn’t make it because everything said about him was positive, as it should have been and will continue to be,” John McClain, who covered the NFL for decades at the Houston Chronicle and is a Hall of Fame voter, told ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
As McClain mentioned, Vinatieri’s right leg was responsible for a handful of clutch field goals. He memorably kicked a 45-yard field goal to help send the Patriots’ AFC Divisional Round game to overtime against the Raiders in 2001, kicking it through heavy snow as those watching the game couldn’t even tell if the kick went in at the time. He kicked a much easier 23-yard field goal to win the game in overtime.
Two weeks later, Vinatieri’s leg was responsible for the Patriots’ first Super Bowl win. He drained a 47-yard field goal as time expired in Super Bowl XXXVI, giving the Patriots a 20-17 win over the Rams. Two years later, Vinatieri made a 41-yard field goal that gave the Patriots a 32-29 lead over the Panthers with four seconds remaining in Super Bowl XXXVIII, avenging his two missed kicks from earlier in the game.
On top of the clutch kicks, Vinatieri holds several NFL records. The three-time All-Pro has the most points, consecutive field goals made, most career field goals made, most seasons with at least 100 points, and most field goals made in a postseason, among other records. After kicking two game-winning field goals in the final seconds of the Patriots’ first two Super Bowl wins, Vinatieri added his third Super Bowl title in 2004 and helped the Colts to a title in 2006.
So, Vinatieri’s Hall of Fame résumé seemed unassailable on the first ballot. However, McClain noted to Reiss that the voting changed this year, with each finalist needing to earn at least 80 percent of the final vote in order to be enshrined in Canton.
As Vinatieri was one of the final seven candidates for induction in 2025, he’ll automatically become a finalist for the Class of 2026. McClain wouldn’t be surprised if we see Vinatieri make his way to Canton in that summer.
“I strongly believe Vinatieri will be elected to the Hall of Fame, but the competition is just so tough,” McClain told Reiss. “So many worthy candidates. I’d tell Vinatieri what I tell other candidates, fans and media: ‘Just be patient. Your time will come.’ Hopefully, his will be sooner rather than later.”
Vinatieri will face some steep competition to be enshrined as part of the Class of 2026. Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Jason Witten, and Philip Rivers are among the group of players who become eligible for induction in 2026, joining the likes of Vinatieri, Eli Manning, Steve Smith Sr., Torry Holt, Reggie Wayne, Luke Kuechly, Terrell Suggs, and more.
Bill Belichick will also become eligible, but as a part of the coach/contributor category. So, he and Vinatieri wouldn’t be competing for a Hall of Fame spot. If they were, Belichick would still seemingly vouch for his former kicker to make the Hall of Fame.
“Adam’s really, in my mind, the best (kicker) of all time,” Belichick said of Vinatieri after the kicker’s retirement in 2021. “His consistency, his ability to handle clutch situations and make the biggest kicks and just the longevity of his career … the consistency is just remarkable.
“[He] made so many big kicks. We were in so many close games during the time when he was here and I was the head coach. His ability to consistently put points on the board was incredibly valuable. Obviously the first kick in a Snow Bowl to tie it, it has to go down as one of the great kicks of all time, if not the greatest. And then, two game-winning kicks in Super Bowls just doesn’t get any bigger than that.
“One thing with Adam, you never felt the pressure of the moment, and he certainly didn’t seem to. So it gave me and our team great confidence. … Tribute to him and his great career, and I’m sure we’ll place him in the Hall of Fame in five years. That’s where he should be.”
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