Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London made a game-winning catch against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, securing the team’s first victory of the season. However, his celebration came at a cost. After the catch, London raised his left arm and mimicked firing a gun with his right hand aimed toward the sky. The celebration resulted in a 15-yard penalty on the field, but London faced further consequences on Saturday when the NFL fined him $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct due to a violent gesture.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris initially downplayed the incident in a press conference on Tuesday, noting that London is a good person and likely didn’t mean harm. “Drake is a great kid, and his intent was not as a use of a weapon,” Morris said. “He probably was shooting T-shirts into the stands, to be honest with you, because he’s just that kind of a guy, but he was excited. He got excited. He’s one of those guys that plays with great energy. He immediately apologized on site before I could even get a chance to correct him.”
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However, Morris adopted a more serious tone the following day. He acknowledged that the celebration was inappropriate, given the ongoing issues of gun violence in the country. “Drake’s was a celebration that we actually don’t want to have happen because of the violence that goes on in our country that we’re very sensitive of, but he had no ill will and no intent,” Morris said. He emphasized that the Falcons organization is mindful of such sensitive matters, particularly as they had recently hosted Apalachee High School, which had been impacted by gun violence, at their practice.
Morris reiterated the importance of awareness around these topics and praised London for apologizing immediately. “We do care. That was just Drake having fun with his fan base and his people up in the stands. You don’t really think about those things in the moment, so you’ve got to be sensitive about all those things,” he added.
London also issued a public apology on Wednesday, acknowledging the inappropriateness of his celebration in light of the widespread issue of gun violence. “There’s a lot of stuff going around in the world with gun violence that I don’t think I should have displayed there,” London said. “So, I’m not too happy with it, and [you] probably won’t see that again from me.”
The Falcons, currently 1-1, are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday at 8:20 p.m.
