Falcons bench kicker Koo after missed FG vs. Bucs

The Atlanta Falcons person benched their longtime kicker. The squad announced Saturday that kicker Younghoe Koo has been downgraded to retired for Sunday night's crippled astatine the Minnesota Vikings.

In his place, Parker Romo has been elevated from the signifier squad. The Falcons signed Romo, a Georgia autochthonal who kicked for the Minnesota Vikings past season, connected Tuesday.

Koo missed a 44-yard tract extremity successful the closing seconds past week that would person tied the Falcons' crippled against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers astatine 23. Koo made 2 of 3 tract goals against the Bucs, but 1 caromed disconnected the close upright.

Koo, who missed clip past play due to the fact that of a hep injury, is conscionable 12-of-20 connected tract goals implicit his past 9 games. Koo, 31, missed 9 tract goals past year, making conscionable 73.5%, his worst percent since becoming a full-time kicker with Atlanta successful 2019.

Koo was erstwhile the astir close kickers successful the league, but now, among kickers with 20 oregon much tract extremity attempts since the commencement of 2024, Koo ranks No. 29 retired of 31 successful tract extremity percent (73%). Romo, 28, was 11-of-12 connected tract goals past twelvemonth successful 4 games for Minnesota, his archetypal accidental to footwear successful the NFL.

Romo spent grooming campy with the New England Patriots, but was released connected cut-down day. In 2023, helium led the XFL successful tract extremity percent (17-of-19, 89.5%).