False alarm on the Adam Vinatieri front. The 46-year-old kicker will continue kicking for the Indianapolis Colts.
So says Colts coach Frank Reich, who spoke on a conference call with reporters Monday to clarify Vinatieri's status with the team after another iffy game and an ominous message.
"Adam is our kicker," Reich said, per The Athletic's Stephen Holder. "We have zero concern. He's not only our kicker, he's a key leader on our team."
Reich added that Vinatieri will kick for the Colts against the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday.
The vote of confidence came a day after Vinatieri missed two extra points in Indy's 19-17 win over the Tennessee Titans. It was the second straight week Vinatieri had missed at least two kicks; he shanked two field goals and an extra point the week prior after which he said Indy's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers was "100 percent" on him.
After Sunday's win over Tennessee, Vinatieri made cryptic comments to Indy reporters potentially regarding his future with the Colts and in football. The kicker told Holder that "you'll hear from me tomorrow." When told he was not scheduled to speak to and will not see reporters on Monday, Vinatieri replied, "Yeah, you will."
That spurred speculation that Vinatieri would be announcing his retirement after 24 seasons or a parting of ways with Indianapolis, with whom he has spent 14 of those 24 seasons. But no, Vinatieri did not meet with the media on Monday and there is no change in his status with the club.
The kicker will speak with the press on Tuesday.
With or without Vinatieri on the roster, Indy currently has a problem at placekicker. On the year, Vinatieri is 1-for-3 on field goals and 2-for-5 on extra points, a rate that is unsustainable over the course of a 16-game season.
Colts owner Jim Irsay expressed "concern" over Vinatieri's play followuing Sunday's win, adding, "This league is professional football. We all have to produce. The expectation is to win when you're professional."
Reich was similarly concerned about Vinatieri's performance, but told reporters Monday that the future Hall of Famer has earned the benefit of the doubt.
"We understand there are high standards," Reich said, per Holder, "but to say they're applied equally to every player isn't accurate."
