Somewhere on a practice field in Florham Park, a 31-year-old kicker lined up during OTAs and drilled every attempt like nothing had changed. Younghoe Koo looked automatic. The kind of automatic that earned him a Pro Bowl nod back in 2020, when he hit 94.9% of his field goals and led the NFL in scoring. But something had changed. Two NFL teams had already watched this man kick and decided they’d seen enough. The Jets signed him anyway.
The Résumé That Should Have Saved Him
Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Falcons place kicker Younghoe Koo (6) kicks a field goal as Atlanta Falcons punter Bradley Pinion (13) holds during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Koo’s career numbers still read like a specialist teams would fight over: 185 of 217 field goals, an 85.3% career rate, and a long of 58 yards drilled in the final seconds to win a game. Back-to-back seasons above 90% accuracy in 2020 and 2021. A Pro Bowl selection. Seven seasons as the Falcons’ kicker. That body of work should buy a veteran some grace. In today’s NFL, it bought him a pink slip.
When the Numbers Turned Ugly
Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants place kicker Younghoe Koo (37) prepares for a field goal during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The 2024 season cracked Koo. His field goal percentage fell to 73.5%, by far the worst full season of his career. He missed nine field goals. A hip injury then landed him on injured reserve in December 2024. After a shaky start to 2025, the Falcons benched him in Week 2 in favor of John Parker Romo and released him on September 19, 2025, ending a seven-year run in Atlanta. That sharp drop from his peak represents one of the steeper declines for a specialist in recent memory.
The Clutch Streak That Faded
Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Giants place kicker Younghoe Koo (37) whiffs on a kick attempt during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Here’s what makes Koo’s collapse genuinely strange. This was a man known for delivering when it mattered most, with a long list of game-winning and game-ending field goals across his Falcons tenure. Then the Falcons released him. His struggles followed him to his next stop. The dependable late-game machine no longer looked automatic once the security of a long-term job disappeared. That’s not purely a mechanics problem. That’s something deeper.
The Giants Couldn’t Fix Him
Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn with New York Giants place kicker Younghoe Koo (37) during warms up prior to the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
The Giants signed Koo to their practice squad in September 2025, and he eventually got his shot when Graham Gano was hurt. He was perfect in his debut but the consistency never held. In one game against New England, his plant foot caught the ground and he never made contact with the ball, a clip that went viral. Across five appearances he made just four of six field goals. After missing two 54-yard attempts in a Week 15 loss to Washington, the Giants waived him on December 16, 2025.
The Disposable Specialist
Sep 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons place kicker Younghoe Koo (6) reacts after missing a field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The hidden mechanism driving Koo’s freefall has less to do with his leg than with how the league now values his position. NFL teams increasingly treat kickers as replaceable: use until the misses pile up, move on, reload. The Falcons turned to Parker Romo almost immediately. The Giants moved on after a single rough stretch. Teams now weigh recent performance heavily over career body of work, and one bad season can erase years of reliability. That’s the system Koo walked into at 31 years old.
What the Jets Are Actually Betting On
Nov 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Giants kicker Younghoe Koo (37)] kicks a field goal in. The second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
The Jets are coming off a difficult 2025 season and enter 2026 looking for stability at kicker. Koo’s signing during OTAs on a one-year deal initially created a crowded competition. By June 1, 2026, the Jets had waived Lenny Krieg, narrowing the battle to Koo and Cade York. The timing of the move gave Koo a real opening to win the job outright if he kicks the way he did at his peak.
One Slump From Unemployment
Sep 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons place kicker Younghoe Koo (6) watches his kick against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Koo’s story stopped being only about Koo somewhere around the second release. It became a cautionary blueprint. Every NFL kicker watching this trajectory sees their own career reflected back. Pro Bowl to released to waived to OTA long shot, all within roughly a year and a half. The precedent looks set: teams can move on from specialists quickly after a bad stretch regardless of past contributions. “It wasn’t the best season,” Koo said. “That’s the motivating factor.” Motivation is nice. But the league has already shown that motivation doesn’t override a 73.5% field goal season.
The Minicamp Clock
Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Giants place kicker Younghoe Koo (37) makes an extra point during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Mandatory minicamp is approaching, and Koo has a handful of OTA sessions to prove he deserves the roster spot. With Krieg gone, it is now a two-man race between Koo and York. Other veteran kickers around the league with recent accuracy dips face the same heightened scrutiny Koo endured. His case may push teams toward shorter contracts with performance incentives, protecting themselves against the kind of sudden decline that surprised Atlanta.
The Last Kick That Matters
Nov 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Giants kicker Younghoe Koo (37)] kicks a field goal in. The second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Two teams moved on from Koo before he ever reached Florham Park, and the Jets are betting they can find what those teams could not. A franchise searching for answers is gambling that a veteran who lost his form can rediscover it on their field. If Koo wins this job, he rewrites the specialist playbook on second chances. If he loses, he becomes proof that in today’s NFL, a career-long 85.3% means little once the recent misses pile up. Would you hand Koo the job over Cade York, or have the Jets already seen enough kickers fail? Sound off in the comments.
