Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London left the team’s Week 9 game vs. the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter. What happened to the star wideout, and what is the latest on his status?
What Happened to Drake London?
London caught a nine-yard touchdown on the second drive of the game. However, he was seen talking to trainers after the play and this ended being his final play of the contest.
London was initially listed as questionable to return with a hip injury. However, at halftime, the Falcons officially ruled out London for the remainder of the game.
.@DrakeLondon_ ballin' out! 😤
FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/v0Uc8bKjXu
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) November 3, 2024
London had two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown prior to exiting the game. He led the Falcons with 48 receptions for 525 yards entering this week, and Sunday was his sixth touchdown catch of the season.
After the game, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was asked about London’s injury, but he didn’t have much of an update on the wide receiver’s status.
“I was kind of focused on the game, but obviously Drake was out, and then obviously at some point Grady [Jarrett] got ruled out,” Morris said. “Looking forward to getting those guys rested and recovered, getting those guys back as soon as possible, whatever that is.
“But I’m very proud of the guys that were able to step up and fill roles in those shoes, whether it was Kentavius Street, or we had the ability to get Red [KhaDarel Hodge] out there and be able to go out there for Drake. Whoever has been asked to step up on this team has done an outstanding job.”
Entering the 2024 season, there was a lot of hype around London since Morris was taking over as the team’s head coach and the Falcons upgraded their quarterback position by signing Kirk Cousins. So far, the results have been promising. This is London’s best season in terms of PFN’s WR+ metric, as he ranks 13th on the year after ranking 23rd in his rookie season and 38th in 2023.
Entering Week 9, London has received 42.9% of the Falcons’ targets in the red zone — the highest of any receiver this season.
Fantasy Impact If Drake London Is Out
If London misses time, Darnell Mooney will step into the WR1 role for the Falcons.
Mooney has been one of the more valuable assets in fantasy this season and projects for an even more advantageous role should London miss time. He finished Week 9 with five receptions (on nine targets) for 88 yards and one touchdown.
Ray-Ray McCloud would see his role increase as well; he had three catches for 28 yards and one touchdown after London exited the contest. However, it’s unlikely that McCloud would be fantasy-relevant aside from extremely deep leagues.
Kyle Pitts would likely see a boost as well, particularly in the red zone. Atlanta’s bye is in Week 12, something to be aware of should London’s injury prove prohibitive.
Drake Maye’s PFN+ WR Metrics
There was a lot of optimism for London in 2024 with the change in system following Raheem Morris’s taking over as head coach, and so far, the results have been promising.
This is London’s best season in terms of WR+, and he ranks 13th on the year after ranking 23rd in his rookie year and 38th last season.
Something that has gone relatively unnoticed with London is that he has been seeing 42.9% of the team’s targets in the red zone entering Week 9. That is the highest of any receiver this year and will be something that the Falcons miss a lot if he were to miss the remainder of the game or subsequent weeks