Adam Vinatieri

Adam Vinatieri is 'still begging' Pat McAfee to come back to the Colts

Published Feb. 22, 2017 2:37 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

Pat McAfee made the most surprising announcement of the year when he retired on live television just before the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl punter was in his prime and still young (29 years old), but he believed his future is in comedy and not in kicking footballs.

His shocking decision to become a full-time comedian sent fans for a loop and left the Colts with a gaping hole at punter, which will be difficult to fill. Kicker Adam Vinatieri realizes just how valuable McAfee was to the Colts, and he’s already begun recruiting him to come back to Indianapolis.

"I’m still begging him to come back," Vinatieri said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "I tried to talk him out of it. I said, 'Man, do both. You're so good at punting. We need you. I need you.' That was selfish of me to even say that because whatever he wants to do — and I know he’s going to be so successful at this — I'm excited for him.”

It’s understandable that the two would be good friends, so McAfee’s exit from the NFL came as a surprise to Vinatieri, and it’s caused him to miss his fellow Colt.

"I just miss him. I talked to him (Tuesday) and I was like, ‘Man, are you sure? It’s not the same without you, buddy,” Vinatieri said.

"It's not the same not having him around,” Vinatieri said. “And like I told him, the true people aren't going to know how badly we miss you until you’re gone."

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Adam Vinatieri

Indianapolis Colts

National Football League