Drake London injury update: Falcons WR ‘probably not’ available in preseason Week 2
The Falcons got a glimpse of their future at receiver when Drake London caught a 24-yard pass from Marcus Mariota during Atlanta’s first preseason game.
However, they also got a scare when London left the field after that game, holding on to his knee. As a result, he was ruled out for the remainder of the game and now it looks like he will miss more time due to the injury.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith said London would “probably not” participate in Atlanta’s joint drills against the Jets ahead of the second week of preseason. That will likely also cost London the August 22 game against New York.
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The good news is that Smith reiterated that the Falcons are not that concerned about London’s injury being a long-term concern.
“We have different guys with different return-to-play plans,” Smith said, per ESPN. “Nothing we’re worried about in the long term. We’ll be smart. He’s had a really good training camp and like the rest of these guys, some guys we endured today, let’s hope we can all get back healthy and ready to roll when the regular season starts.”
Smith did not reveal if London would play again in the pre-season. Instead, he said the team would assess the rookie’s condition “week by week” and explained that the main focus is on getting London healthy ahead of the season.
“We’ll see. We’ll evaluate it week by week and make the best decision,” Smith said. “He had a really good camp. He got his feet wet and I’m happy with him. But like all our guys, the first decision we make is the player’s health and safety and how that affects the team and that’s where we start.”
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London was No. 8 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft and is expected to be the Falcons’ No. 1 pick this season with Calvin Ridley suspended. The USC product last year had 88 catches for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns in just eight games for the Trojans before a broken ankle knocked him unconscious in October.
If London misses time during the 2022 NFL preseason, the team will have extended looks at Bryan Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus and Damiere Byrd as it tries to flesh out the pecking order in its receiver room.
Still, it doesn’t seem like London is in any danger of missing a regular season. He should be ready to go into Week 1 barring any unforeseen setbacks in the coming weeks.