Welcome to the tankathon that is the New York Giants’ final stretch of the 2025 season... or so fans thought. As they sit at 2-12, with three meaningless games left, it should be all eyes on the draft. But just when fans hoped the Giants were ready to embrace the tank, they pulled a classic curveball.
Big Blue’s special teams have been suspect all season, especially in the kicking game, but instead of leaning into the struggle bus, the G-Men are making a move that might actually hurt their shot at securing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Draft.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Giants waived veteran kicker Younghoe Koo -- presumably after his brutal outing in Sunday’s 29-21 loss to the Washington Commanders.
The Giants waived kicker Younghoe Koo.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 16, 2025
Giants release Younghoe Koo as tank job takes unexpected turn
The 31-year-old missed both of his field goal attempts in Week 15. Granted, both kicks were from 50-plus yards, but it’s still not a great look for a guy who was already cut by the Atlanta Falcons earlier this year.
The Giants took a chance on the eight-year vet, with also-worrisome Graham Gano battling injuries and practice-squad call-up Jude McAtamney failing to seize the opportunity in his absence.
Related: Giants’ never-ending kicker mess just exposed their biggest leadership flaw
Koo’s stint in Giants blue was short-lived, lasting just five games. He went 4-for-6 on field goal attempts, but his most memorable moment came in Week 13 against the New England Patriots, when he completely whiffed on a kick, missing the ball entirely and booting the turf instead.
It didn’t even count as an attempt and was ruled a turnover on downs. Not exactly the legacy he was hoping to leave in East Rutherford.
But for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction, meaning the G-Men must've made some other roster move to prompt them to cut ties with Koo. And oh, would you look at that -- they claimed New England Patriots linebacker Caleb Murphy, as reported by Ian Rapoport.
Releasing Koo means the Giants are fairly confident that their fourth kicker will be the one to bring some stability to the position these final three games of the season. That's certainly not in the best interests of a team that should be playing for the first-overall pick.
Koo's ongoing kicking struggles could have helped the G-Men bag a couple more losses, especially in tight games against some bad competition. However, at this rate, just about anyone suiting up for the Giants figures to struggle putting the ball through the uprights, so maybe it'll all work out.