On Thursday, the 45-year-old kicker signed a one-year deal to stay with the Indianapolis Colts – a deal he insists may not be his last.
Financial details were not immediately available, though the deal is believed to be in the neighborhood of last season’s $3 million salary. Vinatieri also noted during a conference call that he will receive a $250,000 bonus if he makes 88 percent of his field goal attempts next season after missing barely missing out on a bonus for making 90 percent in 2017.
But money isn’t the reason Vinatieri returned. He is playing well, wants to win and needs 58 points to surpass Morten Andersen as the league’s top scorer.
”I know 57, 58 points away is definitely within reach this year if I stay healthy and all that,” said Vinatieri, who has scored 2,487 points. ”I really wanted to break that record wearing a Colts helmet where I’ve played the majority of the years in my career now.”
Vinatieri made his intentions clear late last year that he wanted to play a 24th pro season and his preference was to stay in Indianapolis, where he has developed deep roots since joining the Colts as a free agent in 2006.
General manager Chris Ballard quickly let Vinatieri know the team wanted him back. The combination made Indy’s first major offseason move pretty simple.
”This process was substantially easier than it was maybe a couple years ago http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/malik-hooker-jersey ,” Vinatieri said. ”I know when Chris and I had conversations after the season I expressed to him how if everything was moving in the right direction and everything was going to get taken care of, how much I would like to be here and continue my career here. He expressed to me that he also wanted me to keep playing here. So the process was pretty easy.”
Vinatieri acknowledged hiring Frank Reich as the new coach also helped persuade him to come back.
Reich takes over a team that went 4-12 in 2017 and played without Andrew Luck the entire season. The quarterback is still rehabbing from surgery he had on his throwing shoulder 13 months ago.
The good news is Reich knows he can count on the best clutch kicker in league history.
Vinatieri earned his reputation by making two Super Bowl-winning kicks with the New England Patriots.
But his legacy runs much deeper. He won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, a fourth championship with the Colts after the 2006 season and nearly added a fifth despite finishing the 2009 season on injured reserve.
Patriot fans also remember Vinatieri for making two field goals in a driving snowstorm – one to force the overtime, the other to win it – in the infamous ”Tuck Rule” playoff game that helped New England win its first Super Bowl title. He rekindled those images in December when he made a long extra point to help force overtime in a blizzard at Buffalo.
Vinatieri is the last active player from NFL Europe, and he has been around long enough to remind reporters he once tackled Herschel Walker.
But the Colts are more concerned with productivity than records and so far, they’ve seen no indication Vinatieri is slowing down.
”Adam is one the best players in NFL history and we are excited to keep him in Indianapolis,” Ballard said in a statement. ”He continues to play at a high level and his experience and production are valuable assets for our team. Adam is the consummate pro and a key leader in our locker room.”
He needs nine field goals to pass Gary Anderson for second all-time and 36 to break Andersen’s career record of 565.
If he sticks around a few more years, as he suggested he might, Vinatieri won’t just be chasing Anderson and Andersen.
He also would be within striking distance of surpassing George Blanda as the oldest player to ever play in the NFL at 48 years, 109 days. Vinatieri would break the mark if he plays in the 2021 season opener.
”Less concerned about that one http://www.officialavalanche.com/authentic-adidas-j.t.-compher-jersey ,” Vinatieri said, chuckling. ”I guess I’ll take these one year at a time and see where it ends up. I would anticipate if I can stay healthy and be productive, I can anticipate catching up to Morten midseason or thereabout, and I guess at the end of the year I’d be 46. I’m not putting anything out of reach.”
—
The high-powered New York Yankees were stymied by Tampa Bay’s relievers.
Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and the Rays beat the New York Yankees 2-1 Friday night.
Utilizing a bullpen day, the Rays improved to 14-31 against teams with a .500 or better record with the victory over the team with the majors’ best record. New York is 40-5 when allowing four or fewer runs.
”You just don’t limit that team to one run very often,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ”So as far as piecing it together and guys coming in and doing their jobs, that’s probably as good as you can make it.”
Winner Ryan Yarbrough (6-3) entered in the second and allowed one hit in 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his fifth save in nine chances.
”Getting those tough wins against a really tough opponent was great,” Yarbrough said.
The Rays, 12-19 in one-run games Authentic Mitchell Marner Jersey , are 3-5 during a stretch of 16 games with the Yankees, Washington and Houston.
Willy Adames put the Rays ahead 1-0 with a run-scoring single off CC Sabathia (4-3) in the fourth. Sabathia allowed two runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Tampa Bay has just two established starters in its rotation with injuries to Chris Archer and Jake Faria.
”Whatever kind of combination they’ve got going on over there, it worked tonight,” Sabathia said.
Tampa Bay went up 2-0 in the fifth on C.J. Cron’s sacrifice fly, a drive with two on that Yankees right fielder Giancarlo Stanton snared with a leaping catch at the wall.
”That was a really special play,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
The Rays wasted a chance to extend the lead in the sixth when Johnny Field struck out on a failed third-strike bunt attempt with two on and Matt Duffy hit a two-out grounder with the bases loaded to complete a 12-pitch at-bat against Adam Warren.
”That was on me, poor communication on my part.,” Cash of the Field strikeout. ”That’s not how we drew it up. I didn’t take it off. I made the mistake.”
Aaron Judge made it 2-1 on a seventh-inning RBI single off Chaz Roe. Jose Alvarado prevented further damage by getting a two-out grounder from Didi Gregorius with runners on second and third.
New York left fielder Brett Gardner went 2 for 5 after missing the previous five games due to right knee soreness.
After taking three balls, Gardner hit into a game-ending double on a 3-2 pitch from Romo.
Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (strained left and right hamstrings) will have his first bullpen session Sunday and could start a simulated game late next week.
Rays: RHP Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) had a 20-pitch bullpen session. The opening-day starter will likely be out until after the All-Star break. ”(Saturday) will be big to see where my level of soreness is,” Archer said. ”The last week my body has really come a long ways. I don’t wake up with any soreness.”
MINORS’ MATTERS
Yankees: RHP Clarke Schmidt, taken 16th overall in the 2017 draft, allowed two runs and three hits over one inning in his first Gulf Coast League game. He missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Rays: Two-way prospect Brendan McKay is on Class-A Charlotte’s disabled list with an oblique injury.
MOVING DAY
Tampa Bay reinstated INF Daniel Robertson (left hamstring strain) from the 10-day DL and optioned RHP Austin Pruitt and outrighted OF Rob Refsnyder to Triple-A Durham.
UP NEXT
Yankees RHP Sonny Gray (5-4) and Rays RHP Wilmer Font (0-3) are Saturday’s scheduled starters.
Muslima Fitness
Thema drucken
08.10.2018 04:09
Antworten
