Younghoe Koo has not only been among the most reliable members of the Atlanta Falcons roster ... in some ways, including his clutch work, he's also been among the most stellar Falcons - which is saying something for "just a kicker."
But there is some level of concern that this weekend, the team might be robbed of that excellence and has therefore found his just-in-case replacement.
Atlanta announced on Thursday it has signed Matthew Wright to the practice squad as an insurance option in the event Koo can't go in NFL Week 12.
What's the problem? Koo missed practice on Wednesday while he is dealing with a back issue. ... and yet the week marches on as the Falcons are set to host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday in a critical NFC South matchup.
Wright, 27, has bounced his way around the NFL over the last several seasons seasons with stops that have included Jacksonville (as a full-time kicker) and Kansas City and San Francisco, where he was mostly a practice squad guy.
In 23 regular-season games in his career while getting on the field with the Steelers, Jaguars and Chiefs, Wright is 35-of-37 on extra points and 40-of-46 on field goals. He was Jacksonville's main kicker during the 2021 season.
Koo, of course, has been almost automatic this year - again 0 - as he has made 21-of-22 field goals and 14-of-15 extra points on PATs. Will he be ready as 4-6 Atlanta will meet the 5-5 Saints on Sunday? If not, the Falcons are ready with a next man up.
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