Patriots Name Legendary Kicker as Honorary Captain for Broncos Game

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As the New England Patriots prepare to face off with the Denver Broncos in a showdown for the conference title this weekend, a significant player from their “Dynasty-era” will be there to lend some wisdom and counsel.

The Pats have confirmed that franchise legend, and perhaps the NFL’s all-time greatest kicker, Adam Vinatieri will serve as the club’s honors captain in the AFC championship game at Empower Field at Mile High on Jan. 25.

With good reason, Vinatieri is widely regarded as the greatest kicker in NFL history. He retired as the league's all-time leader in points scored (2,673) and field goals made (599). The South Dakota native connected on a number of clutch kicks, the most notable of which came in Super Bowls XXXVI and XXXVIII remain among the most iconic moments in NFL history.

Still, Vinatieri’s most iconic moment occurred during New England's 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff game victory over the Oakland Raiders in blizzard-like conditions — making two kicks in the closing moments of what has now become known throughout Patriots Nation as the “Snow Game.”

Vinatieri joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1996, where he played for 10 seasons, and was a member of the Indianapolis Colts for 14 seasons. A four-time Super Bowl winner – three with the Patriots and one with the Colts – Vinatieri has the most Super Bowl wins for a kicker. He is also the only player to score 1,000 points for two different franchises. In 2019, Vinatieri was named to theNational Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Most recently, he was named as one of the 15 Modern-Era Player Finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

While Vinatieri’s presence will provide a notable moral boost for the Pats roster, one rookie is likely to be particularly be intrigued by what the future Hall-of-Famer has to say. Current Patriots kicker Andy Borregales was not yet a teenager when Vinatieri delivered two clutch kicks through the snow-filled air of Foxborough, Massachusetts on a fateful January night in 2002.

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New England Patriots place kicker Andy Borregales. — Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots place kicker Andy Borregales (36) makes a kick out of the hold from New England Patriots punter Bryce Baringer (17) during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Borregales, whom the Patriots selected at pick 182 in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, finished the season having made 27 of 32 attempts (84.4%), including 4-of-4 from 50+ yards. During his two playoff games, he has converted on kicks all three of his field goal attempts — from 23, 35 and 39 yards, respectively — as well as all five extra points.

While it may be quite some time before he is mentioned alongside the heralded Pats of the past, such as Vinatieri, the University of Miami product is well aware of the legacy which he is hopefully about to join.

“I feel like the Patriots are honestly a good line of legendary kickers, Borregales told reporters via video conference shortly after his selection. “All my life, I looked up to Adam Vinatieri … a legend! All those clutch kicks in the snow. I can’t wait to experience that. I know a lot of people thought that me being from Miami, that I can’t handle the cold. I think I can prove people wrong about that.”

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