From the Hall of Fame to The Comedy Store?

Newly enshrined Hall of Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri made a career of kicks that broke hearts, but he cracked plenty of smiles for his viral speech at the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony. The four-time Super Bowl champ, who booted balls for the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, celebrated the game of football in his speech on Saturday, Aug. 8.

More notably, though, he took aim at some of his former teammates, jabbing Peyton Manning, Pat McAfee and others with his words.

What was going through the kicker’s mind when he was crafting the speech? Vinatieri weighed in on the Aug. 10 edition of the “Pat McAfee Show.”

“I want to make it heartfelt, obviously, I wanted to thank the people that I needed to thank along the way, but I also wanted to make it memorable, right?” Vinatieri said Monday. “I wanted to have a speech that people weren’t falling asleep in.

“All the Hall of Famers, the old guys on the right and left of me, they all said, ‘Make it short and sweet, I don’t want to fall asleep.’ If I was gonna add a couple extra minutes, I better make a couple of jokes and have them on the edge of their chairs.”

Vinatieri’s speech certainly fit the bill, given the reaction by those watching and those in attendance.

Vinatieri’s memorable speech and roasts punctuated the kicker’s enshrinement. His illustrious resume includes three-time first-team All-Pros, and NFL records for most points scored (2,673), most consecutive field goals made (44), most career field goals made (599) and most career overtime field goals (11). He added one viral speech to the ledger and several roasts.

Still, it was all in good fun.

“If you got mentioned, you were dear to me,” he said.