FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Before training camp begins next week, let's talk about the Atlanta Falcons' special teams.
The Falcons have retained the same starting trio — kicker Younghoe Koo, punter Bradley Pinion and long snapper Liam McCullough – since 2022. Coordinator Marquice Williams has been around since at least then, too. So, there has been personnel consistency in Atlanta's third phase of the game. That, however, may be at risk in 2025 after a rocky kicking performance in 2024.
Find out more about the Falcons' special teams heading into the new season below.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Position coaches: Marquice Williams (coordinator), Steven King (assistant)
Returning starters: Younghoe Koo (kicker), Bradley Pinion (punter), Liam McCullough (long snapper)
Notable newcomers: Lenny Krieg (kicker)
Rest of the roster: N/A
Offseason departures: N/A
3 key questions for Falcons special teams
1. Is Younghoe Koo back to full health?
Koo joined the Falcons in 2020 and had been successful on at least 86.5% of his field-goal attempts each year – until 2025, when he dropped to 73.5% (25 of 34). Koo missed a season-high nine field goals last year, including a game-high three in the Falcons' Week 10 loss to the New Orleans Saints. It was uncharacteristic for the 30-year-old veteran.
To be fair, Koo was placed on injured reserve in Week 16 due to an issue with his right hip and did not finish out the 8-9 season. Riley Patterson filled in the final three games, making four of his seven (57.1%) attempts.
"We missed entirely too many kicks this year," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said at 2024 season's end. "The brutal honest truth — that can't happen."
2. Will Lenny Krieg earn a spot regardless?
Given Koo's kicking woes and hip injury last season, the Falcons signed Krieg this offseason to encourage competition in training camp. Krieg, however, offers the Falcons a loophole to keep both him and Koo on the roster without taking up two spots for the normally one-spot position. Because Krieg is a participant in the NFL's International Player Pathway program, he could be chosen for the Falcons' IPP spot and therefore wouldn't count toward the 53-man limit.
Krieg has the opportunity to earn a regular spot on this own, too. The 22-year-old German rookie impressed the Falcons at the 2025 NFL Combine, where he didn't miss any of his 14 field-goal attempts.
"Just seeing him kick in person, spending more time with him (and) getting to understand his why — why he plays the game and why he loves the game — it was a no-brainer to bring him in and have him be a part of our team," Williams said.
3. How will the change to the dynamic kickoff rule affect games?
The NFL introduced the dynamic kickoff rule in 2024 and has since made a minor tweak to the format that could have a major impact in 2025. It was announced at the Annual League Meetings in April that the ball will now be placed on the 35-yard line rather than the 30-yard line following a touchback. This decision was made to encourage even more returns.
The league already saw an increase in return rate, going from 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% in 2024. There were 919 returns last season, which was nearly triple the 332 from the year prior.
"There was only 16% of the balls returned over the 34-yard line," said Denver Broncos special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Darren Rizzi, who helped create the dynamic kickoff. "So, 84% of the time you had a chance to tackle your opponent inside the 35. We've projected; we've run the models. Who knows exactly what the percentage is going to be? I would tell you, probably in the 70-75% range, the return rate, but that remains to be seen."
