The Atlanta Falcons raised some eyebrows during the 2024 NFL Draft when they selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick.
The Falcons drafted Penix despite having signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year contract as a free agent.
The move was a head-scratcher as the expectation was that Cousins would serve as Atlanta’s starter for the majority of his deal before Penix eventually took over.
However, head coach Raheem Morris decided to bench Cousins in favor of Penix this season after the veteran struggled passing the ball and with turnovers.
Penix made his first NFL start in Week 16 against the New York Giants and led the Falcons to a critical win, though it was the defense that did most of the work with two pick-six touchdowns.
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for Penix, who also successfully proposed to his girlfriend.
“Congrats to Mike Penix Jr. and his fiancée on their engagement!” the Falcons wrote on X.
Congrats to @themikepenix and his fiancée on their engagement! 💍 pic.twitter.com/JTOD63h9MI
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 28, 2024
It’s quite a number of life changes for Penix, with this recent development one of the most important.
Now engaged, the new starting quarterback for the Falcons still has work to do on the field as the team remains in the NFC playoff hunt.
It’s a daunting task for a rookie quarterback to get a team to the playoffs, so it’ll be interesting to see how Penix fares in the final two weeks of the regular season.
NEXT: Bill Belichick Gives Honest Thoughts On Michael Penix Jr.
