Andrew Buller-Russ
Despite entering the 2025 campaign with very low outside expectations, the New Orleans Saints performed better than anyone anticipated in Kellen Moore’s first season as head coach, finishing with a 6-11 record. If nothing else, the Saints’ season, which featured several young players receiving extensive playing time, set the table for a brighter future ahead.
Now, after an offseason of retooling, the Saints feel like they’re ready to take a bigger leap forward as Tyler Shough heads into his second season of play. To get there, the Saints will continue taking chances on star talent.
Most recently, the Saints invited one-time Pro Bowl kicker Younghoe Koo to their upcoming rookie minicamp.
New Orleans had two different kickers last season, Charlie Smyth and Blake Grupe. The latter really struggled, missing an NFL-high eight kicks through Week 12. His inaccuracy issues led to the Saints releasing Grupe, and he’s since latched on with the Indianapolis Colts.
Smyth was more accurate, connecting on 75% of his field goal attempts, compared to Grupe’s 69.2%. Both made all their extra point attempts.
As for Koo, the 31-year-old kicker kicked in one game with the Atlanta Falcons and five with the New York Giants last season. Yet, he made just 66.7% of his field goals and 92.9% of his extra points, which is why he’s still hunting for a contract at this stage in the offseason.
The Saints have Smyth and undrafted rookie Mason Shipley on the roster. Koo hopes to work his way into the mix too, and a strong showing in the minicamp from May 8-10 would surely help.
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