The Atlanta Falcons withstood an early injury problem for Drake London on Sunday. After he left the game to be evaluated for a possible concussion, he returned pretty quickly.
They don’t seem to have had the same luck with rookie WR Zachariah Branch.
Branch left Sunday’s game in the first half, too. His chances of returning seems to be less.
Zachariah Branch Injury Update
The Falcons announced at the end of the first quarter on Sunday that Branch has a hamstring injury.
They initially stated that Branch is doubtful to return.
That mostly sounds like a situation in which they won’t use Branch unless they are given some worse injury luck elsewhere and have no choice.
What Happened to Zachariah Branch?
It appears Branch may have been hurt on a kickoff return.
Zachariah Branch has a hamstring injury and has been ruled out. He slid down on his last kickoff return.
— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) November 1, 2026
How This Impacts Falcons
The Falcons use Branch occasionally on offense as a rookie. He’s explosive, but he’s made more for gadget plays at the moment, so those might move out of the playbook for the rest of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Branch is an exciting return man, though, and the Falcons trust him enough that he maintained that role despite some fumbling troubles.
Atlanta will have to figure out what to do in the return game if Branch indeed remains out of this game.
Zachariah Branch Injury Update: Here’s What Happened to Falcons’ Rookie WR