Atlanta Falcons: Market for Younghoe Koo is now set

Younghoe Koo is at the top of the Atlanta Falcons free agent list.

There is no denying that Younghoe Koo was the best weapon the Atlanta Falcons had on offense in 2020. There is also no denying that the club cannot afford to let one of the league’s best kickers walk away in free agency.

Good kickers are hard to find in the NFL and when you have one, he has to be a priority.

The Miami Dolphins announced today that they have signed kicker Jason Sanders to a five-year $22 million deal with $10 million in guarantees. That has officially set the bar for Younghoe Koo and the Atlanta Falcons.

Of all the free-agent questions that the Atlanta Falcons have to address this offseason, Koo is the only no-brainer for new general manager Terry Fontenot. He has to be back with the Atlanta Falcons for the foreseeable future.

His contract will more than likely look similar to what Sanders and the Dolphins agreed to.

Koo was by far a better kicker in 2020 than Sanders was and has proven over the last season and a half in Atlanta that he is a weapon they have to have in the lineup. He takes a lot of pressure off of the offense knowing that if they can get to the 35, they will come away with at least three points most of the time.

In his 23 games as the Atlanta Falcons kicker, he has scored a total of 228 points, handled the kickoffs, and been the NFL’s most successful onside kicker.

In 2020, Koo was tied with both Sanders as well as Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson for the most points during the NFL season with 144. Koo also led the NFL with 37 made field-goal attempts – while missing just two of them all season.

Younghoe Koo has become a player the Atlanta Falcons cannot afford to lose and judging by the contract agreed to by Jason Sanders and the Dolphins, Koo will be a steal at $2 million guaranteed a year.