Falcons Release Younghoe Koo After Missing Game-Tying Field Goal Has Fans Losing It – “NFL Kicker is a Make or Miss Business”

Younghoe Koo was with the Atlanta Falcons since the 2019 season, where he became a model of consistency.

Falcons Release Younghoe Koo After Missing Game-Tying Field Goal Has Fans Losing It – “NFL Kicker is a Make or Miss Business”

Falcons release long-time kicker Younghoe Koo (Image via BR Gridiron/X)

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Younghoe Koo was the 4th South Korean-born player to ever feature in an NFL game. He came in undrafted, then spent some time bouncing around on a couple of teams and the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, before landing a concrete job with the Atlanta Falcons.

With the Georgia-based franchise, he became a fan-favorite among Falcons fans, as his booming kicks became part of their team’s DNA. He was responsible for several memorable special teams moments as the team struggled to find consistency.

His kicks led him to sign a 5-year, $24.25 million extension back in 2022, with the team hoping he would be the least of their worries, especially when moving into the new era helmed by Raheem Morris.

Younghoe Koo is 31 years old, not an age when placekickers generally start to lose power and accuracy in their kicking leg. However, he missed a game–tying 43–yard field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.

Had he made that kick, it would have sent the game into overtime and given the home team a chance to start their 2025 season with a well-deserved win.

After that miss, the Falcons benched him in favor of John Parker Romo, who nailed all five of his attempts in their one-sided clash against the Minnesota Vikings.

It seems that was enough of an audition for the Falcons to make a decision, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed earlier that the franchise has released Younghoe Koo and thanked him on social media. In place of him, they handed John Parker Romo a 2-year deal.

Fans have various reactions to Younghoe Koo losing his job

Football fans know that the average tenure of an NFL player is round about 4 years. Most of those making it through college might not even get a practice squad contract.

The competition is so high that 1st round picks are even cast aside when they do not fulfill their potential. On that note, fans were happy to see Younghoe Koo survive this long in the league and rake in $22 million in the process.

At the same time, they know that he might get a call from another team sometime down the line. They also know that the South Korean-American’s drop in efficiency, along with his costly miss against the Buccaneers, cost him his job.

Fans believe the cut-throat competition in the NFL has made it harder for a placekicker to survive, especially when their field goals can define a game’s outcome. They felt bad for Younghoe Koo, but others believe the Falcons were right to let him go. Check out examples of those reactions below.

Another team with a need at placekicker might give Younghoe Koo a tryout. After all, there is a dearth of good kickers in the league. In this age, when teams are fighting for the smallest of margins, a missed kick or a made field goal can impact a team’s outcome over the course of the season.

Falcons’ strength of schedule could have played a hand in this kicker swap

The Atlanta Falcons seem to have finally moved on from the Kirk Cousins experiment. After the exciting start to his 2024 season, he struggled towards the end and was benched for rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Younghoe Koo's declining efficiency was not good enough for Falcons
Younghoe Koo’s declining efficiency was not good enough for Falcons (Image via CBS Sports/X)

That was when the franchise had the easiest strength of schedule among all teams in the league. This season, they have the 20th-easiest strength of schedule, and that could have played a hand in this decision to let go of Younghoe Koo.

If the Falcons lost that game despite making it to overtime, they might not have been forced to make such a rash decision. The margin of error is less than last season, and that may have played a hand in this kicker swap.

They cannot afford to lose games due to one player. Koo’s declining efficiency might not have mattered if the team were loaded from top to bottom and were favored to win a lot of games.

The way their opponents are playing, there is a concern that every opportunity will matter at the end. Maybe that is why they handed the keys to John Parker Romo, who has proved he is more efficient than his predecessor.

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