When word broke last Saturday that Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo wasn't making the trip to Minnesota with his teammates for the Sunday night battle against the Vikings, it opened some eyes.
In the Falcons ' 23-20, Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the veteran missed a potential game-tying 44-yard field goal, sealing Atlanta's fate. With Koo n ot traveling to Minnesota, Atlanta promoted former Virginia Tech kicker Parker Romo from the practice squad to kick against his former team. His performance was so good that the franchise made a big decision on Friday.
Former Virginia Tech kicker Parker Romo signs a deal to become Atlanta's kicker
Five days after an impressive performance in his first game as kicker for the Falcons, where he went 5-for-5 on field goals in a 22-6 victory over Minnesota, Parker Romo agreed to a deal with Atlanta, who in turn released Koo.
Thank you, Younghoe Koo pic.twitter.com/mOh89rj76B
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 19, 2025
Romo connected on field goals of 38, 29, 33, 54, and 33 yards, which earned him Player of the Game from NBC Sports, where he had a funny quote about not knowing who a new teammate was. Falcons' coach Raheem Morris said that Romo took advantage of an opportunity that he had.
“You get an opportunity, you have to take advantage of it, and he definitely did,” Morris said. “I think everybody knows his name right now.”
Romo was in a training camp battle with the New England Patriots, but head coach Mike Vrabel cut him and went with rookie Andres Borregales out of Miami. Romo was the second former Virginia Tech kicker in New England after Joey Slye handled the kicking duties for the Patriots in 2024. Romo now has the confidence of his coach and new teammates after his Week 2 performance, and he now has the job full-time.