Report: Falcons Make Shocking Decision on Struggling Pro Bowler

The Atlanta Falcons will attempt to continue their winning ways in a Week 3 matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. But they will do so without former Pro Bowl kicker Younghoe Koo, who is no longer in the team’s long-term plans after a rough start to the 2025 season.

The first two weeks of the season have not been kind to Koo. He was benched in favor of Parker Romo, who went a perfect 5/5 in Week 2.

Koo being benched in Week 2 left his future in Atlanta rather uncertain. But on Friday, the Falcons made their decision on who will receive the kicking duties moving forward.

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According to Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney, the Falcons have opted to hand the reins over to Romo after making all five of his field goal attempts in Week 2, signing him to their active roster. And in a subsequent move, the Falcons have decided to release Koo.

Koo struggled in 2024, in addition to his slow start in 2025, which led to him being benched. Last year, he made just 73.5 percent of his field goal attempts, a career low aside from his rookie season, where he saw limited opportunities.

Many kickers have bounced around the league and found success after being let go by a team. So it’s certainly possible that Koo could find a new NFL home in short order after being let go by the Falcons on Friday.

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But if Koo is going to find a new team this season, he will first need to rediscover what made him such a great kicker early on in his career.

In the early portions of his tenure in Atlanta, Koo was widely regarded as one of the best kickers in all of football, making a Pro Bowl appearance in 2020 after making 37 of his 39 field goal attempts.

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