New York Jets sign veteran kicker Younghoe Koo, adding to competition

The New York Jets’ never-ending quest to find a kicker continues.

On Thursday, the Jets signed veteran kicker Younghoe Koo, the team announced. The team has three kickers on the active roster, with Koo joining veteran Cade York and German kicker Lenny Krieg in what should be a competition that runs for most of the offseason.

Koo, 31, is the most accomplished of the trio, though his 2025 season was rocky. He missed a potential game-tying 43-yard field goal for the Atlanta Falcons in the final seconds of their season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta subsequently benched and released him one week later.

The New York Giants signed Koo to the practice squad in September and activated him in November. Koo went 4-for-6 for the Giants but also had a misstep that went viral. On a field-goal attempt during a Monday night game in New England, Koo kicked the field in front of the football but never made contact with the ball. He later explained that he saw the ball moving and was merely halting his attempt.

As for the rest of Koo’s resume: He struggled with Atlanta in 2024 (making 73.5 percent of his field goals) but was one of the best and most consistent kickers in the NFL from 2019 to 2023, making the Pro Bowl in 2020 after converting 37 of 39 attempts.

The Jets are attempting to replace Nick Folk, who didn’t sign with the Jets until training camp last year before having a stellar season. Folk signed with the Falcons in March.