Drake London injury: Falcons WR being evaluated, questionable to return vs. Buccaneers

The Falcons are battling the Bucs on Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. Unfortunately, the Falcons got some bad news, when superstar wide receiver Drake London was being evaluated for a head injury on the sidelines. He is questionable to return to Thursday night’s game, according to Field Yates of ESPN.

He returned to the game later in the second quarter with 7:35 left in the half. London was evaluated for a concussion in the locker room, according to the Amazon Prime broadcast. He already hauled in a touchdown catch on Thursday Night Football. Tampa Bay currently leads Atlanta 24-17 late in the first half.

London has hauled in over 800 receiving yards in his first two seasons in the National Football League. In 2023, he hauled in 69 catches for 905 yards and two touchdowns. In 2022, London hauled in 72 catches for 866 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie.

Many are penciling him in for a big season this year, after the Falcons moved on from Arthur Smith, and brought in Zac Robinson as their new offensive coordinator.

The upgrade with Kirk Cousins under center should definitely help things for London, too. Cousins only played in eight games last year before tearing his Achilles. The previous three seasons, he threw for over 4,000 passing yards each year (2020, 2021, and 2022).

The Falcons decided to trade quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals for receiver Rondale Moore this offseason.

London hauled in 18 contested catches in 2023, the most in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Drake London was dominant with the USC Trojans

His career with USC ended on a rough note, after the fractured his ankle against Arizona his junior year.

Despite leaving on different terms than anyone wanted, London’s junior year was a fantastic one for the Trojans. He ended his season with 88 catches through eight games, and amassed 1,084 receiving yards with seven touchdowns.

He wrapped up his career with the Trojans after hauling in 2,153 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.

London was an exceptional basketball player coming out of Moorpark High School (Moorpark, California). As a senior, he averaged 29.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. It’s not unusual for FBS athletes to be talented in more than one sport, but London was truly elite at two different sports, which is a rare find. As a senior for Moorpark High School, he hauled in 62 catches for 1,089 receiving yards, and 12 touchdown catches.

Austin Brezina also contributed to this article.