By Matt McCarthy, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Indianapolis Colts say they plan to stick with Adam Vinatieri after reportedly working out other kickers on Tuesday.
Colts head coach Frank Reich gave Vinatieri a public vote of confidence Wednesday, saying the 46-year-old was not going to lose his job despite his struggles this season.
“Adam is our kicker,” said Reich. “[General manager Chris Ballard] and I have talked about the situation; we have confidence in Adam. Obviously, there have been other kickers in here working out. We have confidence in Adam. He’s not just our kicker, he’s a leader on our team – a captain, a presence. This is important. We feel like we need him going forward and have the utmost confidence in him.”
Vinatieri has missed big kicks in two Colts losses and a missed extra point in Sunday’s loss against the Dolphins forced Indianapolis to go for a touchdown instead of a field goal at the end of the game. He has hit only 70 percent of his extra point attempts this year (14-for-20) and has missed five field goals (14-for-19) this year.
Vinatieri is in his 24th season in the NFL and it’s clear his status as arguably the greatest kicker in league history has helped him stay on in Indianapolis.
“Everyone understands it, with 24 years of what he’s done, there’s a sense we believe in him,” Reich said. “If you’re going through a rough patch, we’re going to be a little bit more patient than normal.”
The Colts reportedly worked out six kickers in Week 3 and are said to have brought in four kickers for a tryout this week.
Vinatieri is in his 14th year with the Colts after spending the first 10 years of his career in New England.
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