Pat McAfee Show Chimes in on Value of Drake London Contract with Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons and 24-year-old wide receiver Drake London came to terms on a massive contract extension this week that makes him the third-highest-paid player at his position in the NFL.

London was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and the first wide receiver selected. He hasn't disappointed. Despite a revolving door of quarterbacks, London has had at least 866 yards in each of his four seasons. His best season came in 2024 with 1,271 and nine touchdowns in 17 games.

He increased his yards per game last season from 74.8 in 2024 to 76.6, but he missed five games with a knee bruise. He was on pace for 1,302 yards and 13 touchdowns in 17 games, despite the erratic quarterback play from Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousins.

To the outsider, London's deal opened some eyes for a player who has just one 1,000-yard season and has never made the Pro Bowl, but those who have watched London know he's a top 10 receiver in the league.

The Verdict from a Former DB

The Pat McAfee Show agreed.

Pat McAfee asked co-host Darius Butler his thoughts on the signing. Butler played nine years in the NFL, including six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts from 2012 to 2017. Butler didn't mince words when praising the Falcons for London's deal.

"I mean, absolute stud," Butler said. "Lock him up, pay him. This is a no-brainer to lock him up. He falls now as the 3rd-highest-paid wide receiver. So you start to look around the league at some of these other receivers who either get new deals or get that first big paycheck, like Puka Nacua, for example, out in LA, How would this impact him?

"But Drake London? He's earned it. He's been dominant. He can play on the outside. For a big guy, He plays a lot on the inside as well, which is a walking matchup problem. You have Bijan Robinson in the backfield, who's also a matchup problem as well. So whoever ends up winning that starting quarterback role, this is a guy you had to have out there."

Inside / Outside

Pro Football Focus graded London as the No. 6 wide receiver in the NFL last year with an 88.0 grade. To Butler's point, he played 33.7% of his snaps in the slot, similar to other stars such as Nacua (36.1%), Ja'Marr Chase (32.6), and Justin Jefferson (27.0%). In the slot, he had the No. 2 receiving grade (91.7), second only to Nacua (96.8).

However, it's his ability to dominate on the outside that helped him earn a massive payday. Of the top 10 highest-paid receivers in the NFL, according to Spotrac, only Amon-Ra St. Brown had the majority of his snaps in the slot, and he came in at No. 10.

London turns 25 next month. With the quarterback position (still) in doubt, one can question the wisdom of committing so much money to a wide receiver. But London has proven in his four years as a Falcon that he's not quarterback-dependent. He has thrived with the likes of Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Marcus Mariota, the ghost of Kirk Cousins, and an inexperienced Michael Penix Jr.

Finding a dominant No. 1 wide receiver isn't easy, and the Falcons did the right thing by locking him up long-term as they sort out the quarterback position.

Sign up for our free Atlanta Falcons newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!

Add us as a preferred source on Google