If you thought the Atlanta Falcons losing Michael Penix Jr. to injury in Week 11 was a disaster, try losing both Penix and Drake London. Just like his quarterback, the fourth-year wideout left and didn't return due to a knee injury, but the extent of their knee injuries is where things differ.
While Penix is reportedly expected to miss time after re-aggravating his former bone bruise, it was reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter that London's knee injury isn't believed to be overly serious, but more testing will reveal how much time he will miss, if he even needs to miss any time at all.
The Dirty Birds found themselves in a nightmare in Week 11 after their 30-27 overtime defeat saw them lose their fifth straight game. And now sitting at 3-7, their playoff hopes hang firmly in the balance—if they're even still alive—so two of their biggest stars missing time is the worst case scenario.
Drake London might not miss any time with knee injury suffered in Week 11
The 24-year-old caught seven passes for 119 yards prior to leaving the contest, and led the Falcons in receiving once again. London has been carrying this passing attack on his back as of late, as the loss marked his third consecutive game and the fifth time in his last six games to surpass 100 receiving yards.
He is still out-gaining the rest of the Falcons' receiver room in his entirety, so losing one of the league's best wideouts for any amount of time would be a costly loss. But that loss is even further amplified when you consider the absolutely feeble receiver depth behind London in Atlanta.
Behind London is Darnell Mooney—who was productive last season but has struggled immensely due to injury in 2025—Casey Washington, KhaDarrel Hodge, and David Sills V. Besides Mooney, none of those players are starting-caliber wideouts in this league, and even he looked awful in Week 11.
Starting Kirk Cousins is concerning enough, but having him throw to a bunch of bush league wide receivers is straight up malpractice. Terry Fontenot should sorely regret not adding a receiver before the deadline because it's apparent that a former draft bust won't be the answer to fans' prayers.
We all know how the Falcons fared without both Penix and London in Week 8 against the Dolphins, and it's starting to look like that will be more of the same in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints. At least he has a better chance to suit up against the hated archrivals.