Giants hold kicker competition as Gano out for Week 4 vs. Chargers

The New York Giants will enter Week 4 without kicker Graham Gano, as coach Brian Daboll said Wednesday that Gano will miss the Chargers game with a groin injury he suffered during the defensive introductions before Sunday night’s loss to the Chiefs. With Gano sidelined, the Giants will hold a competition between Jude McAtamney, on the practice squad, and Younghoe Koo, signed Tuesday to the practice squad to push for the role.

Gano’s absence left New York without a kicker for much of Sunday’s 22-9 defeat, though he managed to convert a 25-yard attempt in the fourth quarter after gutting through the injury.

Younghoe Koo, 31, joined the Giants after being released by Atlanta on Friday following more than six seasons with the Falcons. He went 2-for-3 on field goals in Week 1, including a missed 44-yard attempt that could have tied the game, and was benched in Week 2 for Parker Romo, who finished 5-for-5 in a 22-6 win. A former Pro Bowler, Koo has made 89.9 percent of his field-goal attempts from 2019 through 2023.

Jude McAtamney, 25, is a Giants practice-squad addition who has yet to establish himself in the NFL. He made his lone field-goal attempt during his rookie season in a late-season appearance. The competition gives New York a chance to avoid a repeat of last year’s late-game kicking woes.

The scenario mirrors last season when Gano injured his hamstring on the first play of a game against the Commanders, leaving the Giants without a kicker for most of the game in a 21-18 defeat.

Daboll said there is no timetable for Gano’s return, and the team will monitor his progress through the week as it prepares for Week 4 against the Chargers.