
The Falcons have made the difficult decision to part ways with a franchise stalwart.
Atlanta is cutting kicker Younghoe Koo, it announced Friday afternoon. Koo, 31, had been a part of the team since 2019.
A native of Seoul and a Georgia Southern product, Koo signed with the Falcons after a tryout in October 2019. He went on to become the team's regular kicker and one of the NFL's most consistent. In 2020, he led the league with 37 made field goals and was selected to the Pro Bowl to end the first of two straight years where he made more than 90% of his kicks.
Koo is just the fourth South Korean-born player in league history, along with Cardinals kicker John Lee, Steelers wide receiver John Ward, and defensive tackle Kyle Love. He departs Atlanta as the team's third-leading scorer all-time, behind fellow kickers Matt Bryant and Morten Andersen.
After a costly miss in the team's season-opening loss to the Buccaneers on Sept. 7, Koo was benched in favor of kicker John Parker Romo.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Falcons Cut Ties With Former Pro Bowl Kicker Younghoe Koo.