Younghoe Koo signs five-year, $24.35 million deal with Falcons

Younghoe Koo [USA TODAY/YONHAP]

American football star Younghoe Koo signed a five-year, $24.25 million with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, becoming the second-highest paid kicker in the NFL after a dominant 2021 season.

Korea-born Koo re-signed with the Falcons on a deal that includes $11.5 million in guaranteed salary. The new contract comes before Koo was set to become a restricted free agent, ensuring the kicker stays in Atlanta for another five years.

Koo debuted with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017, becoming only the fourth Korea-born player to reach the NFL. A difficult start to his NFL career and a couple of crucial missed field goals ended Koo's stay in Los Angeles early and could have spelled the end of his career.

But Koo spent the next year grinding away in the lower leagues, returning to the NFL after more than a year with the Falcons in 2019. Koo quickly established himself as a reliable kicker, and his spot in the Falcons lineup was locked in with a particularly strong 2020 season.

In 2020, Koo was invited to the Pro Bowl, the NFL equivalent of the All-Star Game, for the first time. He is only the second Korea-born player to earn the honor, after Hines Ward.

In 2021, Koo had a 93.1 percent field-goal conversion rate, including four of five from beyond the 50-yard line, six of seven from beyond 40 yards, and 30 for 30 on extra points.

Koo was born in Seoul and spent his early years here before moving to New Jersey while in school. He started playing football while in school and was the MVP for Ridgewood High School team in his senior year. Koo played for the Georgia Southern Eagles while in college, converting 88.6 percent of field goals throughout his four-year career there, and was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award given to the best college kicker in the United States. He joined the Chargers after graduating.

The 2022 NFL season is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]