It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize Drake London is not yet at 100% despite finally returning on Sunday. In the Atlanta Falcons' 26-19 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, London played for the first time in a month after suffering a PCL sprain in Week 11 in the Falcons' overtime loss to the Panthers.
The 24-year-old caught just three passes for 27 yards on eight targets in the Week 16 win, as both Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson out-gained him through the air. He also had a few key drops in Arizona, which led Raheem Morris to confirm that London wasn't his usual self in his first game back out there.
Morris says WR Drake London was shaking some rust off and was "not his normal self." He said he got stepped on a few times and limped off the field once due to that. Morris said he expects London back to practice this week. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 22, 2025
Given this week was the first time he even practiced since suffering the injury in Week 11, it's hard to be surprised about Morris' admission. London didn't practice on Friday, but he did admit late last week he felt the best he has in weeks, and an extra day off before Atlanta's Week 17 game will help.
Drake London didn't look like his usual self for the Falcons after injury
PCL sprains are an injury where it usually take time for a player to return to their pre-injury form, so the Dirty Birds will have to proceed with caution going forward. And with that said, it was surprising to see them decide not to shut him down for the season with them eliminated from playoff contention.
Morris defending a rough game from his star wideout is incredibly encouraging, but confessing he limped off the field isn't. There were a few instances on the broadcast where the USC product looked to be in visible pain or was given a few plays off, but that's precisely why they eased him back in.
With London back out there, it was an incredibly positive sign for an extremely thin Falcons' receiver room. Even at less than 100%, he still led all wide receivers in both catches and receiving yards, which might be more of an indictment of how terrible Darnell Mooney and David Sills V have been this year.
The fourth-year receiver is still vying for a new long-term extension in Atlanta, but even a quiet outing and helped London prove his value to a thin WR room. He didn't have to light up the box score in his return because of Pitts and Bijan, but he's still clearly the best receiving option the Falcons have.
And once he continues to ramp up, that presence will be felt across these final two games.