Falcons To Explore K Options
SEPTEMBER 9: The Falcons have indeed added another kicker by signing John Parker Romo to the practice squad, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Romo emerged as the best option out of a tryout group that also included Zane Gonzalez, Michael Badgley, and Ben Sauls, per Pelissero.
SEPTEMBER 8: In the wake of their Week 1 loss, the Browns expressed confidence in kicker Andre Szmyt and indicated no competition would be brought in. The opposite is true in the case of the Falcons. 
Atlanta will look into alternative options at the position, head coach Raheem Morris said on Monday. Younghoe Koo narrowly made one of his kicks yesterday, with a deflection off one of the uprights resulting in a successful attempt. At the end of the contest, though, a 44-yard field goal which would have tied the game was missed.
“We have to bring a competitive edge,” Morris said (via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall). “We have to go out there and look. We have to bring in people to compete. It definitely creates that sense of urgency. It’s about the process you have to go through from a physical and mental standpoint.”
Morris added (via Kendall) Koo is the incumbent for the time being but said the team will explore veteran as well as “up and coming” options. With over $8MM in cap space, finances will not be an issue if an addition is to be made. For now, attention will turn to the free agents who choose to visit the Falcons, with Eddy Pineiro, Zane Gonzalez, and Greg Joseph among the most notable names on the market.
Koo enjoyed a strong run with the Falcons beginning in 2019. The 31-year-old South Korean earned a Pro Bowl nod the following year and remained among the league’s most consistent kickers until 2024. Last year, Koo missed nine of his 34 field goal attempts, resulting in a career-low accuracy rate of 73.5%.
A training camp competition took place involving Lenny Krieg, was was waived during roster cuts but retained via a practice squad agreement. Morris said the German-born Krieg, who first signed with Atlanta in March, is considered a developmental player but added he will receive another opportunity to earn the kicking gig. Koo has two years remaining on his contract and is owed a total of $8.5MM over that span.
A parting of ways between he and the Falcons has been speculated about dating back to last season’s struggles, but that has not been the case so far. It will nevertheless be interesting to see how the coming days play out with Atlanta searching out alternatives.
Falcons Cull Roster To 53 Players
The Falcons trimmed their roster down to 53 players with the following moves:
Released
- S Jordan Fuller
- LB Ronnie Harrison
- CB C.J. Henderson
- EDGE Khalid Kareem
- OT Brandon Parker
- QB Easton Stick
- DL Kentavius Street
- CB Keith Taylor
Waived
- DL Simeon Barrow Jr.
- S Henry Black
- WR Chris Blair
- CB Cobee Bryant
- RB Jashaun Corbin
- WR Dylan Drummond
- OL Joshua Gray
- K Lenny Krieg
- CB Dontae Manning
- WR Nick Nash
- TE Joshua Simon
- RB Carlos Washington Jr.
- OL Jordan Williams
Placed on injured reserve (designated to return)
- DL Ta’Quon Graham
- OL Storm Norton
Placed on reserve/PUP
Placed on reserve/NFI
- LB Malik Verdon
Released from IR with injury settlement
- OL Jake Hanson
Fuller, Harrison, and Henderson all have previous starting experience in the secondary, though Harrison has since converted to linebacker and exclusively played special teams last season. Fuller missed half of the 2024 season due to injury, while Henderson, a former top-10 draft pick, spent the year with the Steelers but didn’t appear in a regular-season game.
With right tackle Kaleb McGary landing on season-ending IR, Parker could be a candidate to have a handshake agreement to be signed to the practice squad and remain in the team’s game day plans for the season. He will be crucial tackle depth with Norton sidelined for at least four weeks (and likely more) after ankle surgery
Bryant was a projected Day 3 pick who surprisingly went undrafted. Though he didn’t do enough to make the 53-man roster, the Falcons are hoping that he can clear waivers and return to the practice squad, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Though Younghoe Koo is coming off a down year, the Falcons are sticking with the veteran kicker and waived Krieg, a German-born rookie. The Falcons are planning to re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears waivers, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. As an international player, Krieg is eligible to be an extra, 17th player on Atlanta’s practice squad.
Washington is expected to spend his third NFL season on the Falcons’ practice squad, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was only elevated once in 2024 and played exclusively special teams in that game.
Graham started 16 games over his first four years in the NFL but saw his snap share drop to a career low in 2024. He’ll be out for a minimum of four games with an undisclosed injury.
Falcons To Sign Riley Patterson Off Browns’ Practice Squad, Place Younghoe Koo On IR
Riley Patterson‘s travels continue. Having already been with six teams since December 2023, the young kicker continues to be asked back to previous destinations. That will occur once again Wednesday.
The Falcons are placing longtime kicker Younghoe Koo on IR, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the team is bringing back Patterson, who will be signed off the Browns’ practice squad. Kevin Stefanski said Patterson, who kicked for Cleveland in Week 15, was departing due to being poached. He now has a chance to kick for a third team this season.
Patterson’s path since last December has gone through Detroit, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Washington, New York, Atlanta, back to Cleveland and now back to Atlanta. The Falcons had brought him in as Koo insurance, as the Pro Bowler had struggled at points this season. Patterson was elevated to join Koo on Atlanta’s active roster for a game earlier this month. Barely two weeks later, he is back in Atlanta.
The Lions dropped Patterson after giving Michael Badgley the job following a prolonged practice competition last December. That led the 25-year-old specialist to Cleveland to fill in for an injured Dustin Hopkins. The Jaguars, who employed Patterson in 2022 before trading him to the Lions, signed him to a reserve/futures contract but waived him this summer. The Commanders then waived Patterson upon trading for Cade York. Patterson kicked in one game for the Jets and one for the Browns this season.
For hardcore NFL transaction buffs keeping track at home, Patterson has now secured a second stint on a fourth NFL team. Prior to the two Browns stays, he had yo-yoed back to Detroit and Jacksonville. The Memphis alum has not attempted a field goal this season, going 4-for-4 on PATs. With the Lions last year, he went 15-for-17 but still lost his job to Badgley.
Since a rocky start to his career, Koo has enjoyed more stability. He has been the Falcons’ kicker since 2019. Although he is one of the NFL’s highest-paid specialists, Koo has made just 73.5% of his kicks this season. That brought rumblings of a Falcons switch. Atlanta stuck with its All-Pro option but will now sideline him for the rest of the regular season and a wild-card game, should the 7-7 team advance to the playoffs.
Contract Details: Koo, Armstrong, Whitehead, McKissic, Seahawks, Gladney
Here are the details from the latest agreed-upon contracts around the league:
- Younghoe Koo, K (Falcons): Five years, $24.25MM. Koo received a $6.25MM signing bonus and will earn a fully guaranteed $1.75MM 2022 base salary, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. The final three years of Koo’s deal are nonguaranteed; none of Koo’s cap hits exceed $6MM.
- Jordan Whitehead, S (Jets): Two years, $14.5MM. The Jets fully guaranteed Whitehead $7MM and, according to OverTheCap.com, the veteran safety’s cap hits will be $4.2MM and $10.2MM.
- Austin Johnson, DL (Chargers): Two years, $14MM. Initially reported as having a max value of $14MM, Johnson’s deal carries a base value of that amount. It comes with $10.6MM guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets.
- Dorance Armstrong, DE (Cowboys): Two years, $12MM. The Cowboys fully guaranteed Armstrong $6MM, and Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets his 2022 cap figure checks in at $3.38MM. The deal also features a $1MM sack incentive.
- Quinton Jefferson, DL (Seahawks): Two years, $9.5MM. The Seahawks guaranteed Jefferson $5.2MM to return. This includes a $1.2MM 2022 base salary, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets.
- J.D. McKissic, RB (Commanders): Two years, $7MM. Enticing him to renege on a Bills agreement, the Commanders guaranteed McKissic $3.6MM. The deal includes $1.5MM in performance incentives for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.
- Jeff Gladney, CB (Cardinals): Two years, $6.5MM. The former first-round pick will receive $4MM guaranteed, SI.com’s Howard Balzer tweets. In addition to his $2MM signing bonus, the Cards guaranteed Gladney’s 2022 base salary ($1.5MM) and $500K of his 2023 base ($2.5MM). Gladney will count just $2.5MM against Arizona’s cap this year.
- Rashaad Penny, RB (Seahawks): One year, $5.75MM. To keep Penny, the Seahawks guaranteed him $5.07MM. Penny will carry a $5.51MM cap number, Henderson tweets. Incentives for rushing yards, receiving yards and touchdowns could take the deal to $6.5MM.
Falcons To Re-Sign Younghoe Koo
The Falcons are set to retain one of the league’s best kickers. According NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team is re-signing Younghoe Koo to a five-year, $24.25MM extension (Twitter link). He adds that there is $11.5MM in guaranteed money. 
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At an average value of $4.85MM per season, the deal ranks second in the league amongst kickers, behind only Justin Tucker‘s at $5MM. It marks quite the raise for Koo, who was a pending restricted free agent.
Coming into the league as a UDFA, Koo started his career with the Chargers. After only four games there, and a brief stint on the Patriots’ practice squad, he landed in Atlanta. That has certainly turned into a worthwhile decision for both sides.
The 27-year-old has become of the top kickers in the game over three seasons with the Falcons. In 2021, he ranked third in the league with a field goal percentage of 93.1%. For the first time in Atlanta, he was also perfect on extra point attempts, going 30-for-30. Over the course of his career, Koo has only missed 14 total kicks out of 191 combined attempts.
While there are plenty of question marks surrounding the Falcons’ offense, they will at least be retaining a core element of their scoring for the foreseeable future.
Falcons Cut K Elliott Fry
The Falcons have released kicker Elliott Fry, per a club announcement. Now, Younghoe Koo currently stands as the only kicker on Atlanta’s roster. 
Fry, a South Carolina product, spent time in the short-lived Alliance of American Football before signing a string of NFL deals. After stints with the Bears, Ravens, Panthers, and Buccaneers he joined the Falcons’ taxi squad last year. He appeared in one game, making one field goal plus two extra point tries.
In college, Fry converted on 66 of 88 field goal attempts. He was expected to vie for the Falcons’ job this year, though he was a longshot to beat out Koo. Koo, a 2020 Pro Bowler, nailed 37 of 39 FG tries while nailing 33 of 36 XPs.
Falcons Re-Sign K Younghoe Koo
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Re-signed: WR Christian Blake, CB Tyler Hall, K Younghoe Koo, DT Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
Koo is obviously the most notable name on the list, especially after the 26-year-old earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2020. The kicker was an exclusive rights free agent. Koo joined the Falcons for the second-half of the 2019 campaign, and he retained the starting gig in 2020. He ultimately finished the year having appeared in 15 games, connecting on a league-leading and franchise-record 37 field goals (on 39 attempts). Koo also became the first player in Falcons history to connect on at least eight field goals of 50 yards or more without a miss.
Blake joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and after not seeing the field during his rookie campaign, he’s appeared in 25 games for the Falcons over the past two years. The 24-year-old has hauled in 24 career receptions for 232 yards.
Tuioti-Mariner also joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2018, and he didn’t get into a game until the 2019 campaign. The 24-year-old appeared in all 16 games this past season, compiling 31 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Hall went undrafted during last year’s draft, and he proceeded to spend the majority of the 2020 season with the Falcons organization. He finished the game having appeared in nine games, collecting six tackles.
Falcons K Younghoe Koo To Miss Time
The Falcons blew yet another large lead on Sunday to fall to 0-3, and they didn’t escape from their loss to the Bears unscathed. Kicker Younghoe Koo picked up a groin strain that will cause him to miss some time, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Pelissero adds that injured reserve is a possibility, which would keep him out at least three weeks. Koo has been a rare bright spot for Atlanta, as he’s been quite solid since becoming their kicker about halfway through last season.
He’s particularly adept at the lost art of onside kicking, and in a game last year against the Saints Koo incredibly had three onside kicks that were recovered by the Falcons. Atlanta doesn’t have a kicker on their practice squad, so they’ll need to bring in someone from outside the organization for the time being.
An UDFA out of Georgia Southern in 2017, Koo made the Chargers’ roster as a rookie but promptly missed a few crucial kicks and was let go after just four games. After a stint in the AAF and on the Patriots’ practice squad last year, he finally resurfaced and found a home with the Falcons.
Falcons To Consider Kicking Competition
Younghoe Koo isn’t a lock to be the Falcons’ kicker this year. Head coach Dan Quinn says he’s thinking about adding another kicker to the 90-man offseason roster to compete alongside him.
“We are still definitely considering adding a kicker into that spot,” Quinn said. “You could imagine that some of those decisions involve workouts and things that aren’t at this space.”
The Falcons passed on this year’s class of incoming kickers, which included Justin Rohrwasser (Patriots, fifth round), Tyler Bass (Bills, sixth round), and Sam Sloman (Rams, seventh round). Some expected them to dip into the available crop of rookie kickers, since they’ve had trouble in that department. Last year, they thought they were set with Giorgio Tavecchio. Then, the preseason happened – after Tavecchio missed his fourth attempt out of eight, they briefly pivoted to Blair Walsh before circling back to Matt Bryant. Bryant – who has been reliable, historically – flopped, leading them to Koo in late October.
Koo performed well, nailing 23 of 26 field goal tries and 15 of 16 extra points. Still, the Falcons won’t rest easy when it comes to their kickers. From the sound of it, they’ll have another leg in the mix this summer.
Falcons Re-Sign Younghoe Koo, Ryan Allen
The Falcons have re-upped two key members of their special teams unit. Kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Ryan Allen will return on new one-year deals, per a club announcement.
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Last year, Koo flashed his unique onside kick ability, helping Atlanta recover the ball on multiple occasions in crunch time. That included three straight conversions against the Saints on Thanksgiving, if counting the one that was erased by a penalty. He also nailed 15 of his 16 field goal tries, proving that he belongs in the NFL and solidifying his place in Atlanta’s offseason plans.
Last year, Matt Bosher‘s groin injury started a cycle of punters. Allen latched on with the team in November, lost his spot a few weeks later when Bosher returned, then rejoined his old friends in early December when Bosher reverted to the injured reserve list.
In other Falcons news, they’ll have a decision to make on longtime running back Devonta Freeman.