On December 18, 2024, just days before Atlanta’s Week 16 matchup against the New York Giants, kicker Younghoe Koo was placed on injured reserve, ending his season with three games remaining.
Koo had a disappointing year, to say the least. The once-reliable kicker went 25-for-34 (73.5%) this past season, missing nine field goals. His field goal percentage dropped below 86% for the first time as a Falcon. Most concerning was Koo’s struggles from the 30-39 yard range, missing twice this season after not missing from that range since 2020. Prior to this season, Koo had only missed twice from that range in his entire career.
Finding a reliable replacement kicker late in the season proved challenging. Riley Patterson, who filled in for Koo, went just 4-for-7 in the final three games, missing all but one attempt from 40+ yards.
Atlanta missed a total of 12 field goals in 2024, the most in the NFL. Their field goal percentage ranked second-worst in the league at 70.7%. For a team that participated in 12 one-possession games, missed field goals were mistakes they could not afford.
With playoff hopes still alive, Atlanta needed a game-winning kick in Week 17 against the Washington Commanders. Patterson’s 56-yard attempt fell short, sending the game to overtime, where the Commanders won the coin toss and eventually the game.
Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris was blunt in his criticism of the team’s kicking woes in 2024:
"We missed entirely too many kicks this year. The brutal, honest truth is — that can't happen. We’ve got to find ways to make those kicks. That certainly plays a part in not winning the number of games you want to win. We’ve got to create competition across the board, get [Younghoe] Koo healthy, and get him back."Raheem Morris
Two days later, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot echoed Morris’s sentiments, stating Atlanta missed “too many kicks” in 2024.
Younghoe Koo’s future in question
The Atlanta Falcons currently rank 29th in cap space in the league with -$3.2 million in cap and urgent moves will need to be made. Younghoe Koo’s 2024 cap hit of $5.25 million was the fourth-highest among NFL kickers, and that number increases to $5.5 million in 2025, ranking seventh.
The Falcons could save money by releasing Koo in one of two ways:
- Before June 1st: Cutting Koo before June 1 would result in $3 million in savings but would leave $2.5 million in dead money.
- After June 1st: Cutting Koo after June 1 would save $4.25 million for 2025, spreading the $2.5 million in dead money evenly across 2025 and 2026 ($1.25 million per year).
While both Morris and Fontenot expressed confidence in Koo’s ability to rebound, bringing in competition is not off the table.
When asked about the Falcons' kicking struggles this year, Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot have each said two things:
— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) January 9, 2025
1. They are going to support Younghoe Koo in his recovery from injury to see if he can bounce back.
2. They are going to bring in competition.
Replacement options
In the NFL, no job is ever guaranteed. Reliable kickers are a hot commodity, and the free agent market in 2025 is limited. Here are two cheaper, but not necessarily better, alternatives to Koo:
- Eddie Pineiro (2024 Cap Hit: $2.5 Million) - Pineiro was solid for Carolina in 2024, going 22-for-26 (84.6%) and missing four field goals for the second consecutive season. His career long is 56 yards, but he was just 1-for-2 on 50+ yard attempts in 2024, with his longest being 53 yards. Pineiro did miss two extra points in 2024, while Koo was perfect in that category.
- Nick Folk (2024 Cap Hit: $3.75 Million) - Folk was 21-for-22 (95.5%) for Tennessee in 2024, leading the NFL in field goal percentage for the second straight year among kickers with at least 20 attempts. The kicker hit from 56 yards in 2024, something Atlanta needed. However, Folk turns 41 during the 2025 season and is coming off a groin injury that sidelined him for the last three games.
Another potential avenue for competition could come from scouting the UFL this spring. Spring football leagues have produced NFL talent in recent years, including Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates. A UFL standout, Bates had an impressive 2024 season, making 26-of-29 field goals (89.7%) for Detroit with a cap hit of just $895,000. His 2025 cap hit of $1.08 million will still rank only 21st among NFL kickers.
Koo deserves a second chance
With a limited pool of proven kickers available in free agency, Atlanta’s best option is to closely monitor Koo and hope he rebounds in 2025.
Koo has won plenty of games for the Falcons, and if any kicker deserves a second chance, it’s him.