Drake London had the kind of promising NFL debut you want for a rookie wide receiver, catching a good pass from Marcus Mariota and gaining quite a few yards. Sadly, his first play of the evening was also his final play of the evening. According to numerous sources, London has left the game due to what is being described as a knee injury, and as a result, he won’t participate in tonight’s game.

After being hurt, London went to the medical tent while wearing his helmet, which gave onlookers some hope that he would come back. Instead of the gloomy possibility that London is already facing a serious injury before the season even begins, there is hope that this is a minor ailment and the Falcons are being careful. 

Falcons rookie WR Drake London (knee) will not return.

Got hurt on the first drive of the game.

— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) August 12, 2022

After the injury, Drake is expected to undergo more tests. Despite the fact that a status update is expected on Saturday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter shared some good news, reporting that “it is not a serious injury.” The No. 8 overall pick in 2022 is anticipated to play a significant part in the offense. Marcus Mariota won’t be happy if London is out during the regular season since he would lose one of his top receiving options.

If healthy and ready for the NFL, London will start the season as the team’s top receiver. He offers a fascinating combination of size, physicality, and NFL readiness. We’ll probably see a lot of Auden Tate and Geronimo Allison tonight in his absence.

London, the first receiver taken in a loaded class at the position in the 2022 NFL Draft out of USC, went with the eighth overall pick. The rookie is coming off a season in which he caught 88 catches for 1,084 yards and seven scores in just eight games, earning him the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year award.

The 21-year-old did miss the final few games of the 2021 season because of an injured right ankle, but he had fully recovered by the time Atlanta took him in the draft.