Last Sunday hit the Atlanta Falcons in the worst way possible: Not only did they lose a second time this season to the Carolina Panthers, possibly ending their 2025 playoff hopes, but they lost both WR Drake London and QB Michael Penix Jr. to injuries — and Penix’s injury could be season-ending.
London was continuing to emerge in his fourth season, ranking fifth in the NFL in receiving yards with 810, and absolutely dominating, with 100+ receiving yards in five of his last six games. Now, he will be out for at least Week 12.
Penix has had an up-and-down season in his first year as a starter, but getting as many reps as possible was necessary, and he was starting to grow into the role. Now, Penix is expected to miss the rest of the 2025 season, as the Falcons fall out of playoff contention.
Let’s take a look at the latest injury update for London and Penix — two keys to the Falcons offense — and see what we can expect from the Falcons’ duo heading into the home stretch and final third of the 2025 season, plus PrizePicks NFL projections for Week 12.
Drake London Injury Update vs. Saints
London’s situation is a bit complicated. The Falcons said he will miss at least Week 12 with his PCL injury suffered at the end of Sunday’s overtime loss to the Panthers. However, he should be able to return this season.
The “at least” note means more time on the sidelines is certainly possible for the receiver who leads the Falcons in almost every receiving category this season. London was on pace for 1,530 receiving yards and 11.3 TDs before the injury — both of which would be career highs.
How Long is Falcons QB Michael Penix Out For?
On Monday, the Falcons announced that they were placing Penix on short-term IR due to a partially torn ACL, giving no real timetable for his return to play this season.
Given that it’s a minimum of four weeks with the IR stint and Atlanta’s bleak playoff hopes at 3-7, there is a real chance that QB Kirk Cousins is the starter for the rest of the season.
Falcons Depth Chart for Week 12 vs. Saints
The Falcons face the Saints this week, and without London and Penix in the lineup, we have to look at how their absence will affect the rest of the Falcons’ skill position players.
With London out, the Falcons’ receiving corps takes a big hit. The depth chart for Week 12 vs. the Saints looks like this:
- WR1 - Darnell Mooney
- WR2 - David Sills V
- WR3 - KhaDarel Hodge
- WR4 - Casey Washington
That depth chart is obviously lacking a bit of experience, so expect RB Bijan Robinson and TE Kyle Pitts to serve as the de facto WR2 and WR3, despite their positional difference. Robinson and Pitts both have 47 receptions, which rank second on the team behind London’s 60 catches.
The Falcons’ passing game will likely suffer after this receiving shake-up. Cousins steps back into a starting role — his first time at the helm since he was benched for Penix in Week 16 of 2024. He’ll have to do so without the team’s top target.
Cousins struggled in this game in relief of Penix, going 6-for-14 for 48 yards. We couldn’t expect much in a spot start, but Cousins will have to gather himself and get things going in Atlanta to end the year.
The veteran starter is projected for 218.5 pass yards vs. the Saints in Week 12 in PrizePicks’ real-money NFL game.
As Cousins looks solidified as the back-up QB in Atlanta, the rest of the 2025 season will serve as an audition for any team looking to trade for him in the offseason.
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