Shortly after the Cardinals ruled out Max Melton and Jalen Thompson for Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons dropped their bombshell story of the week. The team announced the return of wide Drake London, who has not played since Week 11 due to a knee injury.
London, 24, is in his fourth year of pro ball and has put up his best season in terms of overall efficiency. In the nine games he’s played in 2025, London has averaged 90 yards per game with six touchdowns. His most notable performance came against the New England Patriots in Week 9, where he hauled in nine catches for 118 yards and three touchdowns.
The injury London sustained was a PCL sprain that he suffered against the Carolina Panthers, sidelining him ever since. Atlanta has seen a dip in offensive production since, and has had to rely on running back Bijan Robinson for the most part.
Thankfully for Atlanta, the team will finally be getting London back. However, the team is already eliminated from playoff contention.
MORE: Cardinals' secondary decimated by injury ahead of Week 16 matchup vs. Falcons
What does London’s return mean for Arizona?
It is never fun for a defense to face someone as talented as Drake London, but the timing of his return is especially bad because of the injuries the team has seen this week.
As mentioned, Arizona will be without Jalen Thompson and Max Melton, a pair of their starting defensive backs. While they still have Will Johnson and Budda Baker, it goes without saying that they will be shorthanded.
Atlanta is coming off a dramatic road win on Thursday Night Football on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where they won on a last-second field goal by Zane Gonzalez. It will be interesting to see what the Falcons have for an encore this Sunday.
In the win, quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns. All three touchdown passes went to tight end Kyle Pitts, who caught 11 passes for 166 yards along with the three scores.
Down key members of the secondary will absolutely put Arizona at a disadvantage, but it’s all about how head coach Jonathan Gannon rallies with his back against the wall.