It was late September 2024. The Atlanta Falcons were staring down the barrel of a home loss to their biggest rivals, the New Orleans Saints. Two seconds left. The ball was spotted at the 48-yard line. Most kickers would be shaking. Not this guy. Younghoe Koo stepped up and drilled a career-long 58-yard field goal, sending the Benz into a total frenzy.
Honestly, that moment was the peak. If you've followed younghoe koo stats over the last few years, you know he’s usually as automatic as a Swiss watch. But something weird happened after that kick. The "Koo is King" narrative started to get a little shaky.
Success in the NFL is a fickle thing. One week you’re a Pro Bowler, and the next, you're looking for work on a practice squad. Koo’s journey is wilder than most. He went from being a literal meme for his trick-shot videos to one of the highest-paid kickers in league history, only to face a brutal 2025 season that saw him wearing a New York Giants jersey. It's a lot to process.
The Numbers Don't Lie: Younghoe Koo Stats Explained
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the data. For a long time, Koo was sitting right behind Justin Tucker for the highest career field goal percentage in NFL history. That's elite company. We're talking about a guy who at one point had a 94.9% success rate in 2020.
But if you look at the younghoe koo stats from 2024 and 2025, the trend line looks like a rollercoaster dropping off a cliff.
In 2024, he finished with a 73.5% completion rate. That’s... not great. For context, the league average usually hovers around 85%. He went 25-for-34. Missing nine kicks in a single season is enough to make any head coach start sweating. The deep balls were actually okay—he was 6-for-9 from 50 yards plus—but he started missing the "gimmies" in the 30-to-49-yard range.
Then came 2025. Atlanta finally pulled the plug after a Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay where he went 2-for-3. He landed with the Giants, but the magic hasn't fully come back. In his first few games for Big Blue, he’s been hovering around a 66.7% success rate.
Why the sudden drop?
Kicking is 90% mental. You’ve seen it happen to the best of them.
- Injury rumors: There was talk in late 2024 about him finishing the season on IR or at least dealing with some nagging leg issues.
- The "Clutch" Factor: He still has that game-winner gene, but consistency across four quarters has become the issue.
- Snap and Hold: You can't blame everything on the kicker. A bad hold or a slow snap messes with the timing by milliseconds. In the NFL, milliseconds are the difference between a split-upright and a "doink."
The Contract Reality and the 2026 Outlook
Before things got rocky, the Falcons had backed up the truck for him. In 2022, he signed a five-year, $24.25 million extension. At the time, that made him the second-highest-paid kicker in the world.
Basically, he was making about $4.85 million a year.
Fast forward to January 2026. The financial landscape has shifted. After being released by Atlanta and picked up by the Giants, his current deal is much more of a "prove it" situation. According to recent cap data, his 2025-2026 stint with the Giants was valued at around $1.25 million.
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That is a massive pay cut.
But look at his career totals. Even with a couple of "down" years, he still has 185 made field goals on 217 attempts. That’s a career percentage of 85.3%. Most franchises would kill for that kind of career average. He’s also been incredibly reliable on extra points, sitting at 95.9% for his career. People forget how many games are lost on missed PATs these days with the longer distance.
The Georgia Southern Legend
We have to mention where this all started. Koo wasn't some blue-chip recruit. He was a walk-on at Georgia Southern. He left there holding school records, including an 88.6% career field goal mark.
He's also the guy who pioneered the onside kick revival. Remember 2019? He recovered three onside kicks in a single game against the Saints. Well, technically one was called back, but the skill was undeniable. He uses a "rabona" style kick sometimes that looks more like something you'd see in the Premier League than the NFL.
What's Next for the Pro Bowl Kicker?
So, where do we go from here? If you're looking at younghoe koo stats for your fantasy team or just as a fan, the 2026 off-season is huge.
He’s 31 years old now. For a kicker, that's practically middle-aged. Morten Andersen and Adam Vinatieri kicked well into their 40s, so Koo theoretically has a decade left in the tank. But he has to find his rhythm again.
The Giants' special teams unit hasn't been the most stable environment. If Koo wants to get back to that $5 million-a-year salary, he needs a "bounce back" year where he hits 90% of his attempts. The leg strength is clearly still there—you don't hit from 58 yards if your leg is shot. It’s about the accuracy.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the 40-49 yard splits: This is where Koo has struggled most recently. If he starts hitting these consistently in the 2026 preseason, he’s back.
- Follow the injury reports: Kicking mechanics are sensitive to even minor hip or ankle tweaks.
- Don't count him out: He was cut by the Chargers and the Patriots before becoming a star in Atlanta. He knows how to handle being the underdog.
Koo's story isn't over. He's a Pro Bowler who hit a slump, and in the high-stakes world of NFL kicking, a slump can feel like an eternity. But the career numbers suggest he’s still one of the most talented specialists to ever lace them up.
Keep an eye on the waiver wire and the transaction logs this spring. Whether he stays in New York or finds a third home, Younghoe Koo is still a name that makes defensive coordinators nervous when the clock is ticking down.