New England Patriots - NESN.com
Shortly after losing an open competition with the New England Patriots, a player has surprisingly replaced an organizational mainstay.
The Atlanta Falcons signed Parker Romo to the 53-man roster on Friday. Atlanta endorsed Romo as the new starting kicker by releasing Younghoe Koo.
New England released Romo in late August before the 53-man cutdown deadline, choosing Andy Borregales as the starter. The rookie has struggled in his first NFL action, missing a 40-yard field goal in Week 1 and two extra points in last Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins.
Romo landed a second chance with Atlanta, who elevated him off the practice squad for Week 2 after Koo missed a potential game-tying field goal in the closing seconds of the first game’s 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Romo made all five field goals, including a 54-yarder, in Sunday night’s 22-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Atlanta’s choice shows how quickly life can change for an NFL kicker. Weeks after getting jettisoned by New England, Romo supplanted a Pro Bowler who spent the last six seasons with the Falcons.
Koo ranks third on the franchise’s all-time scoring leaderboard with 700 points. He drilled 89 of 94 field goals during his first three seasons in Atlanta, converting all eight tries of 50 or more yards in 2020.
However, Koo’s accuracy dipped significantly in 2024. He missed nine of his 34 field goals, a 73.5 conversion rate far below his prior Falcons low of 86.5 percent.
The Falcons lost a Week 11 matchup to the New Orleans by three points after Koo missed three times. Those woes gave the 31-year-old a short leash to start the 2025 season, and the Falcons are turning to Romo before Sunday’s NFC South showdown against the Carolina Panthers.
