Kirk Cousins isn’t the only big name to take a seat for the Atlanta Falcons. A day after benching the veteran quarterback, the team is placing Pro Bowl kicker Younghoe Koo on injured reserve, as NFL Media reported, effectively ending the special teamer’s 2024 campaign with three games left in the regular season.
Koo aggravated an undisclosed injury during the Falcons’ Week 15 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Raheem Morris told reporters after the game, and the issue may have contributed to the kicker missing a 42-yard field goal in the matchup. Koo was previously listed on the club’s injury report with a right hip issue.
A trip to injured reserve guarantees at least a three-game absence, so the only way Koo could kick again for the Falcons in 2024 is if Atlanta makes the postseason. The 2020 Pro Bowl selection endured uncharacteristic struggles this year, posting the worst field goal conversion rate (73.5%) of his Falcons career.
Prior to this season, Koo had hit 89.9% of his field goal tries in Atlanta, giving him one of the best career marks of all time. He’s one of several esteemed kickers to endure a major downturn of reliability in 2024, with the Baltimore Ravens‘ Justin Tucker and Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jake Elliott among other Pro Bowlers with lower marks than usual.
Patterson, who previously spent less than a week on the Falcons’ practice squad in November, joins Atlanta as an emergency fill-in from the Cleveland Browns‘ practice squad. He kicked three extra points for the New York Jets earlier this year, and boasts a career field goal rate of 88.1%, also serving two stints with the Detroit Lions.
