Who is the Giants kicker? Why Younghoe Koo is filling in for Graham Gano against Bears

The kicking position has become a recurring nightmare for the New York Giants, and the turmoil continues as the team sits at 2-7 for the third straight season. Veteran Graham Gano, who has battled injuries all year, is now sidelined with a sore neck that kept him out of practice this week. The Giants have again turned to their bench, officially elevating former Pro Bowl kicker Younghoe Koo from the practice squad to handle Sunday’s duties against the Bears.

This marks the third time this season the Giants have shuffled their kicking rotation, defined by missed opportunities that have directly cost the team games — most notably a recent one-point loss in which fill-in kicker Jude McAtamney missed two crucial extra points. The instability at a fundamental position has drawn criticism toward the coaching staff and front office for failing to secure a reliable, healthy specialist.

The spotlight now falls on Koo, a proven commodity who was relegated to the practice squad earlier this season after being signed. His activation offers hope that the team can stabilize a unit that has become a symbol of their recent struggles. Against a competitive opponent, the Giants cannot afford another costly miss that swings the difference between victory and defeat.

Here’s what to know about Koo making his Giants debut.

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Who is the Giants kicker?

This week, Younghoe Koo will be kicking for the Giants as they face the Bears in Chicago.

The Giants signed Koo in late September after he was released by the Atlanta Falcons and after Giants starting kicker Graham Gano began dealing with an injury.

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Who is Younghoe Koo?

Koo was born on August 3, 1994, in Seoul, South Korea. He played soccer growing up before moving to the United States with his mother at age 12, settling in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

He played college football at Georgia Southern University, where he was a standout kicker. In his senior year (2016), he was named First-Team All-Sun Belt and was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, given to the nation’s top collegiate kicker.

After making his NFL debut in 2017, it took a few years for Koo to become a mainstay. His elite status was solidified in 2020, when he earned his first Pro Bowl selection and was named an NFL scoring co-leader. He became a fan favorite for his accuracy across all distances and his skill at executing onside kicks. However, in 2025, the Falcons released him to cut costs despite his proven production.

Koo was signed to the New York Giants practice squad on September 23, 2025. With veteran Graham Gano sidelined and other fill-in kickers proving unreliable, Koo has now been elevated to the active roster.

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What happened to Graham Gano?

Gano is sidelined with a neck injury.

He recently disclosed that the pain is caused by a herniated disc pressing against his spinal cord. He first felt discomfort last week, but the injury was aggravated during a weightlifting session this past Monday. On Wednesday, he received a spinal injection to help manage the nerve pain and inflammation.

This is the second significant injury Gano has dealt with in the 2025 season. He previously missed four games after being placed on injured reserve with a groin injury sustained during pregame warmups for the Week 3 matchup.

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Younghoe Koo career stats 

Koo has cemented himself as one of the best kickers in the NFL this decade.