Sun Sep 14 23:40:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article:

**Summary:**

The Atlanta Falcons have benched veteran kicker Younghoe Koo for Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, citing performance issues and not injury. Parker Romo, recently signed from the practice squad, will take his place. Koo’s accuracy has declined significantly, and his missed field goal last week was a contributing factor to his benching. Romo, a Georgia native, has shown promise in limited NFL experience and the XFL.

**News Article:**

**Falcons Bench Veteran Kicker Younghoe Koo, Romo to Take Over Sunday Night**

**Atlanta, GA –** In a surprising move, the Atlanta Falcons have announced that kicker Younghoe Koo will be inactive for Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. The team cited performance issues for the benching, stating that it is not related to any injury.

Taking Koo’s place is Parker Romo, who was elevated from the practice squad earlier this week. Romo, a Georgia native, was signed by the Falcons on Tuesday and briefly played for the Vikings last season.

The decision follows a period of inconsistent performance from Koo, a fan favorite in Atlanta. He missed a critical 44-yard field goal in the closing seconds of last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a kick that would have tied the game. Over his last nine games, Koo has only connected on 12 of 20 field goal attempts. His field goal percentage has dipped significantly, ranking him near the bottom of the league among kickers with 20 or more attempts since the start of 2024.

Koo, 31, has struggled mightily this year, his 73.5% field goal percentage last year marked a career low.

Romo, 28, offers a fresh perspective. He was 11-of-12 on field goals for the Vikings in four games last year. After spending training camp with the New England Patriots, he led the XFL in field goal percentage (17-of-19, 89.5%) in 2023.

The Falcons hope that Romo can provide a spark in the kicking game as they head into a crucial matchup against the Vikings on Sunday night. The team has not commented on the long-term outlook for the kicker position beyond this week’s game.

Read More