Younghoe Koo Waived by Giants After 2 Missed FGs, What's Next for Struggling Kicker?

Younghoe Koo's time with the New York Giants is reportedly over.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that New York released the kicker after he missed both of his field-goal attempts during Sunday's 29-21 loss to the division-rival Washington Commanders.

That means Koo will need to wait for the next kicker opening in the NFL, which could come at any time if one of his peers struggles during the upcoming slate of games.

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It wasn't that long ago Koo was considered one of the best kickers in the NFL. In fact, he was a Pro Bowler and led the league with 37 made field goals in 2020 when he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

At 94.9 percent (37-of-39), that was one of five straight seasons in Atlanta when he made better than 86 percent of his field-goal attempts.

However, Koo struggled some in 2024 and made 73.5 percent of his field goals.

That ended up being his last full year on the Falcons, as the NFC South team released him in September of this season even though he was third in franchise history in points scored behind only Matt Bryant and Morten Andersen.

Through one game in Atlanta and five games in New York, Koo has made 66.7 percent of his field goals this season. That is his lowest mark since he went 3-of-6 in his first season in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.

Koo's track record should help him moving forward, though, as he will surely be on the radar of any team that needs a kicker because of injury or poor performance. While he wasn't at his best of late, he does have a history of being one of the league's better kickers.

If nothing else, that should be enough to land him a tryout for a team in need of a change.