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Aug 8, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons place kicker Younghoe Koo (6) on the field against the Detroit Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Younghoe Koo Welcomes Giants' Kicking Competition

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 2:00 PM ET

For the New York Giants' recently signed kicker, Younghoe Koo, the key to bouncing back from a mishap in life or football simply comes down to how one prepares for the next opportunity.

Koo, an eight-year veteran out of Georgia Southern with stints at the Chargers, Patriots, and Falcons, is now joining the Giants on the heels of his most recent release by Atlanta following an injury he sustained late last season that seemed to drag on into his initial contributions this fall.

After getting the hip ailment just 14 weeks into the 2024 season that landed him on IR, Koo finished with a 73.5% efficiency on his 34 field goal attempts for the lowest number since his rookie year in 2017 as an undrafted free agent in Los Angeles.

Since then, the South Korean-born kicker has struggled with consistency in his important duties, including missing what would have been a game-winning 34-yard field goal in the Falcons’ season-opening game against the Buccaneers.

The move prompted the Falcons to release Koo after seven years of service and just one contest this year, and now the veteran finds himself with the Giants, who are in desperate need of kicking support with Graham Gano ailing with his groin, which hurt the team’s chances in Week 3’s loss to the Chiefs.

As for Koo, he showed no signs of his confidence waning as he stepped into the locker room in East Rutherford for his first practice with his new team. The reason for his continued assurance in his skills stems from what he learned best while unable to perform on the field on Sundays.

“Getting hurt last year and going on IR, that helped me kind of lock in as far as physically, how to prepare for this off-season and all that stuff,” Koo said to the media on Thursday.

And it’s not really the confidence that I'm gonna rely on, it's the preparation that I talked about. That's where that (confidence) comes from. So, all I can go back to is just working hard and working on my craft to be the best version of myself that I can be day in and day out.”

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Outside of his one tough season, Koo has been as reliable as any kicker in the league throughout his NFL career. He sits 13th in the position in all-time efficiency, converting 181/211 field goals and 175/182 extra point attempts, including 48/63 from 40+ yards and 29/40 from the 50+ yard range, which the Giants have painfully learned is important in today’s game.

Koo was not available for the Falcons game against the Giants in Week 16 last season, but is no stranger to the team and the local area, having grown up in Ridgewood, NJ, after his family moved to the United States from Korea when he was very young.

Koo said he didn’t have ties to any NFL team growing up, but now has been granted the chance to compete for the insurance job for the franchise that played right in his own backyard.

The Giants aren’t going to rely on Gano’s status to hamper their special teams operations for a third time in the last two seasons, making it necessary to have a competition between two kickers to potentially fill his role for a while.

The new addition will showcase his continued preparation and commitment to the Giants alongside International Pathway Program kicker Jude McAtamney, who has also been staying on the team’s practice squad to back up Gano, thanks to his exemption from counting towards the Giants' rostered players under the program.

Some kickers with more years of experience on their resume might take a certain approach that a team calling for help is making them compete for a job with a player who hasn’t seen much action on an NFL field. Still, Koo isn’t taking that mindset into his next opportunity to extend his career and show he can bounce back from his down season.

Instead, he is embracing the moment to remain involved in a professional franchise and will do what it takes to show the Giants that he can be their guy in the biggest moments of the game, if they need him to be that moving forward.

“Yeah, I'm grateful for the opportunity,” Koo said.

“It is definitely a little bit more special that I grew up in Ridgewood, you know, moving to Ridgewood from Korea, and middle school, and then making friends here and all that stuff. Being raised in Ridgewood is definitely special.”

“It’s not the first time that I'm in competition or the last time I'll compete. It comes with the job, and I definitely have to embrace it because competition does make you better. So, um, every day you go out there, you've got to be the best and just put the best foot forward and see what happens.”

The Giants certainly need their best foot, especially with an offense that hasn’t been capable of consistently cashing in six points when they approach the red zone.

The absence of Gano has been a major issue, and Koo is ready to show he can remedy that problem fast as the Giants shift gears to Week 4 and a big match against the Chargers, where points could be at a premium.

This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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