The New York Giants have made another change at kicker, waiving veteran Younghoe Koo just weeks after a moment he-and Giants fans-won’t soon forget.
It all unraveled earlier this month on Monday Night Football against the New England Patriots. With the Giants trailing 17-7 in the second quarter, Koo lined up for a 47-yard field goal attempt that could’ve made it a one-score game.
Instead, what followed was one of the most bizarre kicking miscues in recent memory. Koo’s plant foot caught the turf a half-yard before the ball, causing him to kick nothing but air.
He stumbled forward as the Patriots' special teams unit pounced on placeholder Jamie Gillan, ending the play-and, as we now know, beginning the end of Koo’s short Giants stint.
Despite being one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history and a 2020 Pro Bowler, Koo’s time in New York was brief and ultimately defined by that misstep. He appeared in just four games for the Giants, converting four of six field goal attempts and hitting 11 of 12 extra points.
The Giants had picked up the 31-year-old back in September, hoping his experience with the Chargers, Patriots, and Falcons would bring some stability to a position that’s been in flux all season. But after that high-profile misfire-and a performance that didn’t quite meet expectations-the team decided to move on.
Koo is now on waivers and can be claimed by another team until 4 p.m. Wednesday.
His departure marks the second time this season the Giants have cut ties with a kicker following a costly mistake. Just weeks earlier, Jude McAtamney was released after a rough outing against the Denver Broncos.
In that game, the Giants had taken a late 32-30 lead with just 37 seconds remaining. But McAtamney missed his second extra point of the day, leaving the door open for Denver to steal the win.
The Broncos took advantage, quickly marching into field goal range and sealing the comeback with a game-winner from Will Lutz.
McAtamney had also missed an earlier extra point in that game, after the Giants jumped out to a 13-0 lead-an early sign that the kicking unit was on shaky ground.
For the Giants, it’s been a season of frustration when it comes to special teams. Between McAtamney’s missed opportunities and Koo’s infamous turf shot, the kicking carousel has become a symbol of the team’s broader struggles in close games. With both kickers now gone, the Giants are once again searching for answers at a position that often flies under the radar-until it doesn’t.
In the NFL, kickers may only get a handful of chances each game, but those moments can define seasons. And for the Giants, two missed kicks have already defined far too much of this one.