Kicker Younghoe Koo went from viral internet sensation to great NFL preseason story to a goat in two losses to out of a job, all in practically the blink of an eye.
Koo was cut by the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday. Koo, whose backflip field goal video is one of the most mesmerizing things on the internet, was in danger after his potential game-tying field goal in Week 1 was blocked and his potential game-winning field goal against the Miami Dolphins a week later missed wide right. The Chargers didn’t make a move right away, and Koo made both of his field-goal attempts the last two weeks, but the 0-4 Chargers moved on anyway. They signed Nick Novak to take his place.
Koo was one of the better stories to come out of preseason. He was born in South Korea, and after moving to the United States he found that football was a way to make friends. He became a pretty good kicker and won a competition in camp to win the job.
That story turned sour early in the season when Koo missed two big kicks and the Chargers lost both games. At 0-4, it looks like the Chargers are using him as a scapegoat.
Koo is just 23 and will have a chance to latch on elsewhere. He was good enough to win a job in preseason and will be on many teams’ lists of available kickers if their kicker struggles or gets injured. But for now, a fun story is on hold.
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