Falcons’ New Kicker Parker Romo Delivers Perfect Debut

The Atlanta Falcons signed kicker Parker Romo after Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard game-tying field goal in Atlanta’s Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Romo was signed to the Falcons' practice squad on Wednesday. 

He was elevated to the active 53-man roster on Saturday, the day before the Falcons went to battle with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, ironically against the team that he spent the 2024 season with. 

Romo shone in place of Koo under the brightest of lights.. The kicker went 5-for-5 on field goals and nailed an extra point as the Falcons beat the Vikings 22-6 in a game that was entirely decided by field goals. Romo knew the significance of his position, how every point matters in the NFL.

“Yeah, I mean, it every week, every point matters in every game. Like you see so many games come down to one-score games and every point is crucial, and it’s been engraved in my mind.” Romo said.

Romo capitalized on every opportunity the Falcons gave him to put points on the board. The biggest of which was when he hit a huge 54-yard field goal early in the 4th quarter after Atlanta’s defense forced a turnover on a strip sack of Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarrthy. If the kicker missed, the Falcons would only be holding on to a six-point lead with Minnesota holding great field position and all the momentum. The pressure was on Romo; however, he was unfazed and cool as ice.

“I’ve just kind of gotten used to being uncomfortable,” Romo said on Thursday, ahead of the game. 

He certainly showed that in his Falcons’ debut, going into a loud U.S. Bank Stadium and absolutely delivering. 

Romo was not drafted and originally signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2022. However, the kicker did not play a game with the Saints and signed with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL in 2023. 

He was named to the 2023 All-XFL team and, at one point, held the record for the longest kick in XFL history at 57 yards. Romo made 17 of his 19 kicks in 2023.

After his year in the XFL, Romo bounced around from practice squad to practice squad. With an injury to the Vikings’ starting kicker, Will Reichard, Romo was elevated to Minnesota’s active roster. 

Romo was in a kicking competition with the New England Patriots and rookie Andres Borregales earlier this offseason, and the Patriots ultimately decided to keep Borregales on their 53-man  roster. However, after Koo’s miss in Week 1the Falcons brought in Romo as competition, despite kicker Lenny Krieg on the team’s practice squad in the international spot.

“He stepped up tonight, man,” Head coach Raheem Morris said in regards to Romo after Sunday’s victory over the Vikings. 

More From Atlanta Falcons on SI