Drake London has been a crucial piece of the Atlanta Falcons’ offense during the 2025 NFL season, serving as the team’s leading wide receiver by a significant margin. His heavy workload in their game plans highlights his importance, but his status is now uncertain.
After being a surprise late addition to the injury report with a hip issue last week, he was eventually ruled out for their game against the Miami Dolphins. Now, the Falcons are hoping he can return for Week 9 as he continues his recovery.
Will Drake London Be Available for a Critical Week 9 Matchup?
London has begun the Falcons’ preparations for their Week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots, participating in practice on a limited basis on Wednesday and Thursday. He was listed on their injury report with a hip issue.
Atlanta was blown out last week in a shocking result against the struggling Miami Dolphins, and the star wide receiver’s absence surely played a role in the loss. He has been their primary passing target this year and has excelled in his featured role.
Fortunately for the Falcons, London was removed from the injury report on Friday. He is currently on track to play in Week 9.
#Falcons WR Drake London looks fine. pic.twitter.com/cu8j0qdngd
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) October 31, 2025
Additionally, based on PFSN’s WR Impact Metric, London is the 26th-ranked receiver in the league this season. His solid output includes 38 receptions for 469 receiving yards and two touchdowns in just six games. This performance gives him excellent averages of more than six receptions and 78 yards per game.
If he was unable to play this week, Darnell Mooney would have stepped into the WR1 role. However, Mooney hasn’t found nearly as much success this season, as he is currently ranked 73rd among all wide receivers on the same season-long list. He has also been dealing with injuries of his own, but he was a full participant in practice on Thursday.
The Falcons are desperate for a win this week after losing each of their past two games. The situation is becoming urgent, as they currently trail the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by 2.5 games in the NFC South standings and are also 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in the NFL playoffs.
Atlanta needs to start moving in the right direction to avoid falling too far out of the postseason race. This won’t be easy to do against the surging Patriots, who will enter the contest with an active five-game winning streak. The Falcons will look to upset one of the hottest teams in the NFL in Week 9, and they are hoping London is healthy enough to help them do so.
