Falcons say goodbye to Younghoe Koo

Koo had a three- to four-year where he was one of the best kickers in all of football, with his best season coming in 2020. He led the league with 37 made kicks that year, hitting them through at a 94.9% clip.

It wasn’t long ago that Koo held the title of the most accurate kicker in NFL history, but since then, everything has completely fallen off the rails. He made just 73.5% of his kicks last year, costing the Falcons several games — and probably a spot in the postseason. The team wanted to give him a chance to make things right this season, and by all accounts, Koo had a phenomenal offseason. But you just can’t replicate in-game pressure, especially in the kicking game.

When Koo missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal in the Falcons Week 1 loss to the Bucs, Raheem Morris and company really had no choice but to explore other options. They turned to Parker Romo, and after one perfect week, the writing was on the wall for Koo.

Koo did a lot more good than bad over his seven years with the team — something that can’t be said about too many Falcons over that same stretch. It likely won’t take him long to get another shot with a different organization, and nobody should be surprised if he figures it out and returns to form as one of the league’s best kickers. That’s just the nature of the position.

Thanks for the memories, Younghoe Koo.