Younghoe Koo Reportedly Signs Giants Contract After Graham Gano's Groin Injury

Kicker Younghoe Koo has reportedly signed with the New York Giants following his release by the Atlanta Falcons, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday.

Koo has not played since he missed a potential game-tying field goal for the Falcons in a Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He had appeared in 93 games over seven years with the Falcons organization prior to his release last Friday.

The signing comes after Giants kicker Graham Gano suffered a groin injury during warmups for the team's Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Gano made one field goal in the second half of Sunday's loss, but was in visible pain after the successful attempt. He said after the game he had "no idea" if he was going to miss time with the injury.

This marks the third straight season in which Gano, 38, has been limited by injury.

After heading into Game 2 of the 2024 season with a groin issue, Gano suffered a hamstring injury that would sideline him for the next seven games.

He also missed the final nine games of the 2023 season after suffering a knee injury that necessitated surgery.

The Giants have turned to six different kickers over the last three seasons amid Gano's injury absences.

Adding Koo to the roster gives the Giants another veteran kicker, and hopefully some more consistency at the position, should Gano once more miss time due to injury.

Koo spent the offseason competing with Lenny Krieg, an undrafted free agent signing out of Germany, for the International Player Pathway spot on the Falcons roster.

He ultimately won the job but made his only appearance of the season in the Week 1 game against the Bucs.

Koo went 2-for-2 on extra points and 2-for-3 on field goals, including the 44-yard miss that sealed the Falcons' season-opening defeat, on Sept. 7.

He was inactive for a Week 2 win over the Minnesota Vikings and cut before last Sunday's Week 3 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

His absence was noticeable in the Falcons' 30-0 defeat by the Panthers. Kicker Parker Romo, who signed a two-year deal to join the active roster after Koo's release, missed two first-half kicks and did not make another field goal or extra point attempt for the rest of the shutout loss.

The Falcons will hope to see Romo bounce back this weekend against the Washington Commanders, while Koo will prepare to potentially make his Giants debut if Gano is sidelined for Sunday's matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.