Younghoe Koo's job is officially in danger. One week after his Week 1 disaster, the Atlanta Falcons have officially elevated another kicker, Parker Romo, from the practice squad ahead of their matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Falcons signed Romo to their practice squad immediately after Koo missed a game-tying field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They elevated him from the practice squad on Saturday, and he will reportedly kick on Sunday, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
In a corresponding move, Koo did not travel with the team and will be inactive in Week 2. The Falcons have not yet cut him, but his tenure is clearly on life support.
Koo started his career as a fan favorite, but he has been nothing short of a disaster since. The Georgia Southern alum made just 73.5 percent of his field goals in 2024, ranking near the bottom of the league.
Koo clung to his job in the offseason, but got off to as poor a start to the 2025 season as possible. Although he started the year by sinking a 41-yard field goal in the first half, Koo's late-game struggles persisted with another blown crunch-time kick.
Falcons look to rebound in Week 2 against Vikings
Koo's missed kick was a massive gut punch, but the Falcons otherwise looked promising in Week 1. Michael Penix Jr. had the offense rolling, racking up 319 scrimmage yards and two total touchdowns on his own. Penix led an improbable 60-yard drive in the final minute of the game to set up the game-tying kick, which Koo ultimately squandered.
Although Penix is now just 1-3 as a starter, with his only win over the lowly New York Giants, his losses are tough to discredit. The southpaw's two losses as a rookie both came in overtime, and his first loss of 2025 came as the result of a blown field goal.
The Falcons are now preparing for a Vikings team that pulled off an inspiring fourth-quarter comeback victory against the Chicago Bears in Week 1. However, as impressive as Minnesota was, it is dealing with a plethora of injuries and is on track to play in Week 2 severely shorthanded.
The Vikings are preparing to be without Christian Darrisaw, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman and Jeff Okudah, in addition to Jordan Addison and C.J. Ham already being ruled out. The Vikings are still lined as 3.5-point favorites to pick up the prime-time victory at home.
