The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a close loss on Sunday to their division rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Late in the game, WR Drake London went down with an arm injury on the final possession, sparking concern — especially with London on the verge of a potential massive payday.
“If Drake balls out like we think he will… $34-35M/APY easy,” BroTalk of The Reporting Eligible Podcastposted.
The Falcons were also without several other key players on both offense and defense, including wide receiver Darnell Mooney and safety DeMarcco Hellams.
Mooney has been sidelined since the start of training camp after diving for a ball and injuring his shoulder. He was considered a true game-time decision last week against the Bucs.
“Said a lot of what the Falcons are looking for to decide on Mooney’s status is whether he is game-ready. Not really working through anything physically with the shoulder, more about having been off the grass for a month,” reported Falcons insider Tori McElhaney.
Hellams, expected to be a rotational piece in the secondary and on special teams, was a mid-week addition to the injury report and missed the season opener.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“The third-year safety, who is expected to be a rotational piece for the secondary and special teams contributor, was a recent addition to the injury report this week. His status for Sunday’s game is in question after missing Thursday’s practice,” SI’s Garrett Chapman wrote.
Fortunately, all three players received positive updates on Wednesday, as they returned to practice.
“Drake London, Darnell Mooney, DeMarcco Hellams will all be practicing today,” McElhaney posted.
This is encouraging news for the Falcons, who would take a significant hit if both London and Mooney were unavailable. Now, there’s optimism that all three could be available for a crucial Sunday night matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The trio will look to make a big impact — as long as they stay healthy through the week.
