FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Younghoe Koo’s six-year hold on the Atlanta Falcons’ kicking job is on the line after he had nine misses on field-goal attempts last season, which is four more than he has ever had in a single campaign in his seven-year NFL career.
Koo entered training camp with a strong vote of confidence from second-year coach Raheem Morris but also with something to prove. Koo was 25-of-34 on field-goal attempts last season — although he did make all 26 of his extra-point tries — and Lenny Krieg was added to the roster for training camp to provide competition.
The rookie from Berlin has the leg strength to make the competition interesting, so accuracy will be important during the preseason, beginning with Friday night’s exhibition opener against the Detroit Lions.
Koo, who turned 31 on Sunday, was born in South Korea — the Seoul native grew up playing soccer — before moving to the United States in middle school and joining the football team in high school. At Georgia Southern University, he earned recognition as one of the nation’s top college kickers, leading to an NFL opportunity with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.
Signed by the Falcons in 2019 after not being in the NFL in 2018, Koo was a Pro Bowl selection in 2020. His misses last season included some crucial field goals that could have led to wins for Atlanta, which finished 8-9 with two straight overtime losses to close the schedule.