Being a kicker in the NFL is akin to living on a knife’s edge. It’s one of the most pressure-packed and insecure positions on any team, and as Bill Parcells once said, kickers are not asked to play; they’re asked to kick.
The most important part of their job is consistency. They make extra points, hit routine field goals, and, most importantly, kick when the game is on the line. The harsh reality is that kickers are often judged on whether they can come through when the pressure is at its highest point.
What Happened to Younghoe Koo?
Younghoe Koo was the Atlanta Falcons’ kicker since 2019 and had never posted a field goal percentage below 86.5 through 2023. But things began to slip in 2024 when he hit just 73.5% of his field goals. It was not a death knell, but then Week 1 of 2025 happened.
With the Falcons down 23-20 on the road at Tampa Bay, Koo was brought in to try a 44-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. He missed the kick and threw his helmet to the turf in frustration, sparking speculation about his future after the Falcons announced that Koo would face competition for his position.
On Saturday, Tom Pellisaro reported, “The #Falcons plan to elevate kicker Parker Romo to the active roster and he’ll kick against the #Vikings on Sunday night, per sources. Romo made his NFL debut last season for Minnesota. He’ll kick against them instead of Younghoe Koo, whose miss sealed last week’s loss.”
In the Falcons’ 22-6 win over the Vikings, Romo converted all five of his field goal attempts as well as the only extra point attempt. He finished the game with 16 points and was announced as the kicker for Week 3.
In three games with the Falcons, Romo has converted seven out of nine field goal attempts and hasn’t missed a single extra point attempt.
Falcons Released Koo Ahead of Week 3
The Falcons released Koo after Romo’s impressive outing against the Vikings. The kicker posted a message on his Instagram account for the organization.
“I want to thank the Falcons organization for giving me an opportunity when no one else would six years ago,” Koo wrote on Instagram. “This place helped me grow as a kicker and as a man. I will forever be grateful for the support from the fans during my time here. I have nothing but love and respect for everyone in the building, I wish y’all the best. I’m full of gratitude and excitement as I continue my journey in this league.”
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Koo signed with the New York Giants on Sept. 23. So far, he has made $22.02 million in his career.
Falcons Fantasy Outlook for Week 6
Here’s what PFSN’s Kyle Soppe wrote about the Falcons players’ fantasy outlooks for Week 6:
Michael Penix Jr.
I was hopeful that we’d see Michael Penix build on his finish to last season, but we aren’t getting any of it.
In his four games this season, he’s totaled just three touchdown passes while misfiring on 19-of-26 deep passes (zero touchdowns and one interception). The rushing has disappeared (21 yards in Week 1 against the Buccaneers, 10 yards since), and while he’s funneling looks to Drake London, that’s all he’s doing that matters in our game.
The Falcons have games against the Dolphins and Panthers before Thanksgiving: the best-case scenario is that we see some signs of life in this game that give us some confidence in using him as a streamer in those spots.
Bijan Robinson
Penix hasn’t done a ton to demand respect from opposing defenses, and it just doesn’t matter.
Through four games, Bijan Robinson has as many 10+ yard runs as attempts that have failed to gain yardage, something that is difficult to comprehend with the attention that is paid to him by opponents.
Last season, Atlanta did a great job of featuring their stars post bye (Robinson: 90+ rush yards and multiple targets in every game following the off week in 2024). With a few favorable matchups left, there’s a real chance that Atlanta is home to the overall RB1 this year and entering 2026.
Drake London
After failing to finish any of the first three weeks as a top 20 receiver, Drake London broke out in Week 4 against the Commanders with 25 PPR points on his way to a WR5 finish.
Is it here to stay? The Bills traditionally do well to take away chunk plays, so counting on a 43-yard catch in consecutive games is a long shot, but the volume is something that projects as stable and keeps London in the WR1 discussion.
