After Younhoe Koo almost single-handedly lost the Atlanta Falcons their season opener to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was only a matter of time before the Dirty Birds looked into alternatives at kicker. And when Koo was absent from speaking to the media following the loss, it’s clear that the writing was on the wall.
Unfortunately for Falcons fans, his job remains intact—at least for now—but Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot have been doing their due diligence in hopes of adding competition at the position. Earlier this morning, Atlanta tried out a plethora of new kickers with the likes of Michael Badgley, Zane Gonzalez, and Ben Sauls working out in hopes of pushing the ex-Pro Bowler.
Fans were hoping for a reunion with former Georgia fan favorite Rodrigo Blankenship, but the Falcons landed on none of those players. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Atlanta signed John Parker Romo to their practice squad. Romo only has four games of in-game NFL experience, but spent the entire summer with the Patriots before failing to make the final roster.
Parker Romo was in camp with the #Patriots. He was one of several kickers who worked out this morning for #Falcons -- a list that also included Zane Gonzalez, Michael Badgley and Ben Sauls. https://t.co/Im5mAKtZtX
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 9, 2025
John Parker Romo is pushing Younghoe Koo’s job security
Koo converted on a career-low 73.5% of his field goals in 2024, and has grown increasingly volatile in clutch situations since the beginning of last season. His confidence is almost certainly gone, and now it’s costing the Falcons. That 44-yarder should have sent the game to overtime, but instead it left a bad taste in fans’ mouths early on.
Morris even said after the loss that those were “makeable” kicks and never ruled out a change at kicker. After the Georgia Southern product was one of the NFL’s most consistent legs just five years ago, this is no longer the case.
As for Romo, he impressed in a limited sample size in 2024. The 28-year-old made 11 of 12 field goals and went 7-8 on extra points last season after serving as a brief injury replacement for Minnesota starter Will Reichard. And he’s had practice squad stints in New Orleans, Detroit, and Chicago.
Additionally, the Georgia native was as automatic as they come in college. After going 2-5 on field goals and 17-18 on extra points in his freshman season at Tulsa, he transferred to Virginia Tech, where he did not receive another kicking opportunity until his senior season.
But he made the most of the long wait. Romo didn’t miss a single extra point and went 18-22 (81.2%) on field goals. And he has a strong leg—he drilled a 57-yard kick with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas in 2023, which helped him be named to the All-XFL team.
A change is not imminent for the Falcons, but at least there is another insurance policy on the practice squad in case Koo’s struggles persist.