Giants Kicker Situation Heading into Philadelphia Matchup

Here we go again.

If everything unfolds as expected, Graham Gano is set to be the placekicker for the Giants on Sunday as they face Philadelphia. What could possibly go wrong?

Gano, who is 38, missed the last four games due to a groin strain. Jude McAtamny stepped in as his replacement, but he had a rough outing, missing two extra points during a dramatic 33-32 loss to the Broncos. The Giants had initially jumped to leads of 19-0 and 26-8, only to see their defense collapse in the fourth quarter.

“If Graham is ready, Graham will be the kicker,” said head coach Brian Daboll ahead of Wednesday’s practice.

This situation isn’t entirely shocking, but considering Gano’s injury history, returning to him carries some risk. Last season, he hurt his hamstring and left the team scrambling for a kicker in a loss to Washington. Unfortunately, injuries have once again thinned out the Giants’ roster.

Before his injury, Gano was perfect in the first three games, nailing all six field goal attempts and his longest from a distance of 55 yards. He also converted all four extra-point tries. However, in Week 3, during pregame warm-ups at MetLife Stadium for “Sunday Night Football” against the Chiefs, Gano accidentally struck his foot on the turf, aggravating the groin injury. As a result, punter Jamie Gillan had to fill in as kicker, and it didn’t go well. After being placed on injured reserve, Gano watched as McAtamny took over for four games, while veteran Younghoe Koo was signed to the practice squad for extra insurance.

McAtamny, a 25-year-old from Northern Ireland, had been part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. He has only attempted two field goals this season but went 2-for-2 in a game against the Chargers, both from inside 39 yards. During Week 6 against the Eagles, he converted three extra points but missed one out of five attempts. So, it’s perhaps a bit surprising to see him struggle, especially considering he had shown flashes of capability.

In Denver, he managed to convert two of four extra points. His first miss, however, came due to a low snap that disrupted the timing, and the second miss—with only 37 seconds remaining while leading 32-30—went wide right.

Now, why was McAtamny getting more chances while Koo stayed on the sidelines? According to reports, McAtamny performed better in practice, which led the coaching staff to trust him more. Koo, while a capable kicker—over his career, he’s completed 85.8 percent of his field goals—was let go by the Falcons last season after missing a critical kick in a tight game. And last year he saw his numbers dip to a disappointing 73.5 percent.

This week, there’s an opportunity for Gano to return from injured reserve. If he clears the necessary assessments during practice, he could be set to kick as early as this weekend.

“We’re going to spend the week here, and if we’re feeling good, hopefully we can all play. He’s been doing well in practice, but he hasn’t been able to do much due to his injury,” stated Daboll.

Trusting Gano with kicking responsibilities again, especially given his recent injuries, is somewhat risky, particularly with the depth at the position still a concern. It didn’t seem like Coach Daboll planned on using Koo as an option against the Eagles. If Gano is ready, he will be the one.

“He’s been doing what he needs to with his trainers, and they believe he’s ready to go,” Daboll commented. “This isn’t like a defensive back or receiver; they’re easing him into the return, and everyone is satisfied with his progress.”