Giants Waive K Younghoe Koo, Claim LB Caleb Murphy

Koo, 31, took over the Giants’ kicking job after Graham Gano suffered a herniated disk that forced him onto injured reserve for the second time this season. Gano previously missed Weeks 4 though 7 with a groin injury, during which time Jude McAtamney kicked in his place. He made both of his field goals but only nine of his 12 extra point tries. McAtamney returned to the practice squad when Gano came back in Week 8 and was later released altogether.

When Gano’s neck injury popped up in early November, the Giants signed Koo and undrafted free agent Ben Sauls to their practice squad. Koo won the starting job and made his first 12 kicks across four games, but failed to convert his two field goal attempts in Week 15. Though both misses came from outside of 50 yards, New York opted to waive the veteran and give Sauls a chance.

The rookie out of Pitt signed, fittingly, with the Steelers after the draft. Though he had virtually no chance of overtaking longtime starter Chris Boswell, he performed well in the preseason with a five-for-six mark on field goals and a perfect six-for-six showing on extra points. Sauls is now in line to make his NFL debut on Sunday against the Vikings.

Murphy, 26, will join his third team of the season after stints with the Chargers and the Patriots. He primarily featured on special teams and will likely continue in a similar role in New York.

The Giants also designated fourth-year offensive lineman Evan Neal to return from injured reserve. The former first-rounder’s mid-November hamstring injury and subsequent IR placement seemed to signify the end of his time in New York, but Neal may come back this season after all. The Giants do not necessarily need reinforcements along their offensive line, though, and Joshua Ezeudu returned to practice last week. If he is activated to the 53-man roster, there may not be room for Neal, so today’s move could have been a formality to give him some more practice reps before the year’s end.