Falcons Bench Kicker Younghoe Koo for Vikings Matchup

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The Atlanta Falcons announced on Saturday that kicker Younghoe Koo will not travel to Minnesota for their Sunday Night Football game against the Vikings.

Koo has been replaced by Parker Romo, who was elevated from the practice squad. Romo, a Georgia native, signed with the Falcons earlier this week.

This decision follows Koo’s missed 44-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of last week’s game, which resulted in a 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Koo successfully made 2 of his 3 field goal attempts during the game, but his final miss solidified the defeat.

This season marks Koo’s seventh with the Falcons since joining in 2019. He received a Pro Bowl selection in 2020, but his performance has declined. Last season, he converted only 73.5% of his attempts, the lowest since he became a starter.

After missing a few games last season due to a hip injury, Koo has struggled. He has made only 12 of 20 field goal attempts over his last nine games. Among kickers with at least 20 attempts this season, he ranks 29th out of 31 for field goal percentage.

Meanwhile, Romo brings NFL experience from his time with the Minnesota Vikings, where he played four games last year, finishing with an impressive 91.7% success rate on field goals. He also shined in the XFL, having led the league with an 89.5% completion rate on field goals.

The Falcons also announced that wide receiver David Sills V has been moved to the active roster from the practice squad, while safety Jordan Fuller has been placed on the reserve/injured list.

Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.