Back in the 2023 season opener against the Carolina Panthers, wide receiver Drake London was beginning his second NFL season with the Atlanta Falcons after an efficient rookie campaign. Atlanta managed to secure a 24-10 home win over Carolina, but the fans were not happy, especially with then-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. After all, Smith didn’t make much use of his former first-round pick.

In the season opener, London had only one reception. Following the matchup, when Smith was asked why London had no catches, he made it clear that “targets is the most misunderstood thing” in the NFL and that London doesn’t care about it.

That has been evident throughout London’s four-year NFL career. Recently, the receiver sat down on The Pivot Podcast, where former NFL star Ryan Clark addressed London’s habit of not shouting very loudly to get a pass. When asked why that is, London made it clear that he sees himself as a football player and not a wide receiver and that he views the sport as a team effort rather than focusing on individual accolades.

“I think just understanding that this game is a team sport and that s**t is not going to go your way all the time,” London said on The Pivot Podcast. “And if I beg for it and it’s happened to me before in high school, ‘I’m not getting the ball, why I’m not getting the ball?’ And then you go out there first two games, you’re dropping passes. That feels like terrible. So, I’d rather guys give me my ups, and I’mma make the best of it. Now, but I’m going to make it known that you guys should get me the ball, and that’s through my play. And everything should be through my play.

“How I speak everything, very anti-diva stuff because it don’t help anybody. It doesn’t help anything, and then I view myself as a football player, not a wide receiver. I like to block people. I like to do stuff. I like to clear out stuff for people and just play a team sport because that’s what it is. If the accolades and stuff come with it, that’s cool. Other than that, I play football”

A career spanning four years so far, Drake London has played with multiple quarterbacks, including Ridder, Kirk Cousins, and Michael Penix Jr. In that span, the receiver has recorded nearly 4,000 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. Ahead of the 2026 season, the Falcons rewarded London with a four-year, $141 million contract extension, as the receiver is now potentially set to get passes from Tua Tagovailoa, who joined the Falcons this offseason.

Still, London isn’t concerned about it, and the receiver has made that clear time and again. Just last year, while speaking with Tyler Dunne, London described himself as “boring” and “simple.” At the same time, he has never been the type to demand targets or shout for the ball. And based on how things have unfolded, it’s safe to say that London has no intention of changing that mindset anytime soon.