Younghoe Koo, the Atlanta Falcons’ kicker, is set to return after his sixth season ended early due to a hip injury. At 30, Koo has resumed his usual offseason training routine and feels he is back to normal.
“Health-wise, it’s great. It wasn’t as serious as it could have been, so I’m fortunate in that,” said Koo. “Every offseason I go through my training and offseason routine, and I’m right where I want to be if not further along.”
In the 2024 season, Koo experienced an unusual performance dip for the Falcons, converting 25 of 34 attempts with a success rate of 73.5%, his lowest since joining the team. He notably missed two kicks from under 40 yards.
The low point came during Atlanta’s loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 10 when Koo missed three kicks — one blocked — which contributed to the defeat. After appearing on the injury report in Week 13 due to hip issues, he was placed on injured reserve by Week 16.
“My hip, it’s like a rotator muscle. I’ve dealt with it before,” Koo explained. “It just comes with kicking… I was like, ‘Alright, I’m not helping myself or the team at this point.'”
Koo recovered without surgery but required injections and was ready weeks after the season ended. However, with no postseason appearance for Atlanta, his recovery continued into the offseason.
As preparations begin for a new season, competition looms for Koo with German kicker Lenny Krieg joining the team after an impressive NFL combine performance. Head coach Raheem Morris had hinted at such competition following last season’s conclusion.
“We missed entirely too many kicks this year,” Morris remarked earlier in January. “The brutal honest truth — that can’t happen.”
Krieg signed a three-year contract indicating potential significant involvement beyond just being a camp presence. As part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, Krieg might not count against Atlanta’s roster limit during regular seasons.
“It’s not my first time having a kicker in the locker room with me throughout OTAs or training camp,” said Koo about Krieg’s arrival.
Koo previously maintained an above-86% field goal success rate before last season’s downturn but now faces pressure to prove himself once more.
“You’re always competing; you’re always getting evaluated,” said Koo reflecting on last year’s performance challenges and motivations for improvement this upcoming season.
