The New York Jets traded wide receiver and special-teams player Irv Charles to the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. Now, they are staying busy, as they are adding a new kicker to their roster.
According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, the Jets are signing veteran kicker Younghoe Koo. The exact details of Koo’s contract with the Jets have not been announced yet.
Koo will now provide the Jets with another kicker with a good amount of NFL experience. The 31-year-old has eight NFL seasons on his resume, where he has played for the Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Giants. Now, the former Pro Bowler is set to play for his fourth team after signing with the Jets.
Koo played in six games this past season split between the Falcons and the Giants, where he went 6-for-9 on field goal attempts and 13-for-14 on extra-point attempts.
Koo Will Now Give the Jets Another Kicker to Consider for Starting Job
With the Jets signing Koo, he will now provide them with another option to consider for their starting kicker job. Koo will now be competing with Cade York and Lenny Krieg for the role, and it should be an interesting battle to watch during the preseason.
Out of the three Jets kickers battling for the top job, Koo has the most experience. York did not get into any game action last season with the New Orleans Saints and has had just 10 field goal attempts in his career. Krieg, on the other hand, has not made his NFL regular-season debut yet and spent last season on the Falcons’ practice squad.
With this, it makes sense that the Jets are bringing in Koo for more depth at the kicker position. This is especially so when noting that the Jets lost veteran kicker Nick Folk to the Falcons in free agency this offseason. As a result, the Jets have a kicker spot to fight for, and it will be interesting to see if Koo can win the job.
Koo’s Resume Makes Him an Interesting Addition for the Jets
While Koo only made six appearances last season and did not get many field goal attempts, his strong resume makes him a fascinating pickup for the Jets. Keep in mind, Koo is a former Pro Bowl kicker who has had some strong years in the past. In 2020, he had made 94.9% of his field goals attempts and then followed that up by making 93.1% of his field goals attempts in 2021 with the Falcons.
Although Koo has had some struggles in recent seasons, the possibility of him getting things back on track a bit next season with the Jets should not be ruled out. If he can tap into his previous form a bit, he would be a nice addition for a Jets club that is looking for more success in 2026.
In 98 career NFL games, Koo has made 185 out of his 217 field goal attempts, which equates to an 85.3% field goal percentage. With this, there is no real harm in the Jets taking a chance on him. It will be interesting to see if the move benefits them from here.
New York Jets Sign Former NY Giants Kicker