The New England Patriots held a pair of special ceremonies at Gillette Stadium on Sunday to honor the team's first championship and celebrate Adam Vinatieri's induction to the Hall of Fame.
Before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Patriots remembered their victory against the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl in 2002, which started their dynastic run, led by Tom Brady. At the break, Vinatieri received his Ring of Excellence, a fitting tribute to the kicker, who made the clutch boot against the Raiders in the divisional round, paving the way for New England's maiden title.
During his speech, Vinatieri could not help but rub it in on the Raiders with the perfect joke.
“Seeing those Raider jerseys takes me way back. It takes me back to that snowy night when we beat Oakland (in the divisional round) to (later) win the Super Bowl 36. Then years later, I was fortunate enough to be the all-time leading scorer. We did that in Oakland as well,” said the four-time champion.
“At the time, I thought we owned the Raiders. And now, thanks to Tom Brady, we really do.”
@adamvinatieri vs. the Raiders 😂💀 pic.twitter.com/ksTJKls5yA
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 11, 2026
Brady is a part-owner of the Raiders after buying a minority stake in 2024.
Article Continues BelowVinatieri and Brady played together on the Patriots for six seasons. Although they were not close friends, they always expressed mutual admiration.
The 53-year-old Vinatieri retired in 2019 with the Indianapolis Colts, amassing 2,673 career points. He was a three-time All-Pro and a three-time Pro Bowler. He led the league in scoring in 2004 and was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.
The Patriots crushed the Raiders, 45-17, and improved to 3-2.