Drake London didn’t hide how he felt during Atlanta’s home opener. FOX caught the Falcons receiver on the sideline in the third quarter, pointing and talking through clenched teeth while Carolina had pushed the lead to 27-3.
Olamide Zaccheaus was standing right in front of him, and it looked as if London was barking at a fan. Bijan Robinson sat nearby with the same vacant expression.
The shot said plenty on its own, but the scoreboard told the rest of the story. Bryce Young had already gone 20-of-31 for 267 yards and three touchdowns, while Atlanta had dug itself into a hole with turnovers. London, who signed a four-year, $141 million deal this summer, looked like a player watching a big investment go to waste in real time.
AVY3N posted the clip with the caption, “drake is over this s-t,” and nobody on the broadcast needed to confirm the mood. London jabbed a glove toward the field, kept talking past Zaccheaus, and then stared through the staffer next to him.
This is a receiver who once put Morris on the grass in a practice drill. He has never come off as someone who does quiet frustration.
The bigger issue for Atlanta has been building for a while. In Week 1, Cooper Rush started in Pittsburgh because Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa were both out, and London finished with two catches for 29 yards. Rush leaned heavily on Bijan Robinson that night, and Atlanta even listed Zaccheaus as an emergency quarterback that afternoon.
The quarterback situation still hasn’t stabilized. Penix is working his way back from last year’s knee injury, and Jeremy Fowler reported he is “not yet ready for live game action.” Ian Rapoport said Cooper Rush would start again in Week 2, which left London - a $35 million-a-year receiver - running routes for a backup in a division game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Carolina came in after allowing 59 points to Chicago the previous week, but Atlanta never took advantage. The Falcons turned the ball over four times and managed only one field goal.
London’s contract was supposed to secure the offense through 2030, and The Athletic reported $100 million guaranteed along with the highest average salary in franchise history. None of that matters much when the quarterback can’t consistently get him the ball.
A late knee scare last season already showed how fragile this roster gets without Penix. On Sunday, though, the problem was on the other side of the snap.
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Brewer Hicklen and Owen Murphy ended up taking the top honors, with Hicklen earning hitter of the year after a .302 season with 18 home runs and 30 stolen bases, and Murphy named pitcher of the year after working to a 3.07 ERA with 94 strikeouts. The broader picture was just as encouraging for Atlanta, with several other contributors turning in notable seasons and a number of major leaguers passing through Gwinnett along the way, giving Braves fans a clearer sense of who helped keep the affiliate mattering. [Read more 🡒]
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Robert Suarez Has Become A Huge Braves October Decision
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For the Braves, the question is whether that means enough to make him part of the postseason picture. October roster spots are hard to earn this late in the process, especially for a reliever still proving his body is ready, and Suarezs return will force the front office and coaching staff to weigh upside against certainty as they settle on the group they want for the postseason. [Read more 🡒]