The Atlanta Falcons' failure to sign Drake London to a long-term extension looks worse and worse by the week. The price tag has continued to go up all offseason long. First it was Alec Pierce landing $30 million annually, but the Falcons' patience once again came back to haunt them after another elite receiver landed an extension in Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Seattle Seahawks agreed to a four-year, $168.6 million extension with star WR and reigning Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba that will now make him the highest-paid receiver in NFL history and reset a receiver market that's already lucrative.
Since Smith-Njigba will make $42.15 million per year, there's no telling what London could make. Obviously he won't surpass the $40 million threshold, but for a player who may not even deserve $30 million in AAV, this may push his price tag in the wrong direction, which is the worst-case scenario for the Falcons.
The Atlanta Falcons messed up not signing Drake London to a extension before Jaxon Smith-Njigba reset the WR market
After the JSN contract, 11 receivers are in that $30 million ballpark, but this number will soon increase once more wideouts get closer to hitting free agency. But the weird part is that the 24-year-old will be a free agent next offseason, yet it looks like there is zero urgency to actually extend him.
Extension talks have already been off to a shaky start between the two sides, and navigating another roadblock will only make things tougher. Ian Cunnningham also has to get deals done with Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts, but the JSN deal is almost certainly going to increase his growing price tag.
The Falcons know exactly what the USC product wants by now, but this was before this extension came to light, He sees himself as a player worthy of that $30 million price tag, which if you look at his recent production and rapport with Michael Penix Jr., is true, but anything beyond that is pushing it.
Yes, London was injured in 2025, but when he was on the field, he was the only reliable player in Atlanta's WR room. They'll have some better depth at the position in 2026, but it's no secret how important he is to the offense, so if the Falcons won't extend him, maybe someone else will.
You'd think they would've learned from the George Pickens fiasco in Dallas, where inthe midst of his breakout season, they failed to agree to an extension in the final year of his rookie deal. They were forced to franchise tag him this offseason, and allowing London to suffer the same fate is a mistake.
I'm sure talks will improve in the coming months and a deal will get done, but JSN's contract is proof that delaying the inevitable will only make things worse with London.