Adam Vinatieri Needs to Retire and Colts Shouldn't Have to Bother With Ongoing Conversations

Following the struggles that longtime Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri endured last season, a legion of NFL analysts predicted that he would walk away from the game after 24 years.

However, the latest buzz suggests that might not be the case.

According to the Indianapolis Star, head coach Frank Reich said during a conference call on Tuesday that Vinatieri hasn't decided if he'll return for a 25th season. The Colts also refused to commit to the three-time Pro Bowler as their kicker for the 2020 season.

We wholly respect everything that Vinatieri has done for Colts (and the sport), but this is getting ridiculous. It's time for the 47-year-old, whose widely regarded as one of the greatest kickers in league history, to call it a career. Indianapolis shouldn't be forced to deal with his hesitancy.

The four-time Super Bowl champ is currently rehabbing from knee surgery that terminated his 2019 season, which was shaping up to be, far and away, the worst of his illustrious career before the season-ending injury.

Vinatieri connected on a career-low 68% of his field goal tries and missed a whopping six extra points. For context, his previous career-low was 73.5% back in 2003 when he was still a member of the New England Patriots.

Despite the struggles, the Colts stuck by No. 4 until he was placed on injured reserve. The franchise's obligation to Vinatieri, though admirable, should have ended there. There's no logical reason for this marriage to last any longer.