National Football League

Who is Atlanta Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr.?

Updated Dec. 18, 2024 5:58 p.m. ET

Eight months ago, the Atlanta Falcons were being scrutinized to no end for drafting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, just after signing four-time Pro Bowler QB Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal in March.

Lo and behold, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris announced on Tuesday that the Falcons are benching Cousins in favor of Penix, who will make his first NFL start in the team's Week 16 home matchup against the New York Giants (1 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). This decision comes after Cousins threw for just 112 yards in the Falcons' Monday night win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and threw a combined eight interceptions and zero touchdowns in their four previous games.

The 24-year-old Penix takes over a 7-7 Falcons team that's one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South (Atlanta swept its season series with Tampa Bay) and two games behind the Washington Commanders for the No. 3 NFC wild-card seed.

With Penix now front and center, let's take a look at his football career to date.

Michael Penix Jr. at Indiana (2018-21)

Penix committed to Indiana in 2017 as a four-star recruit out of the state of Florida and got playing time in each of his four seasons at the school. Unfortunately for the left-handed quarterback, injuries plagued his stint in Bloomington.

Penix appeared in three games in his freshman season before tearing his ACL. The following year, Penix got extensive playing time, throwing for 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he was limited to six games due to a shoulder injury. In 2020, Penix helped lead the Hoosiers to a 5-1 start, with the quarterback throwing for 491 yards and five touchdowns in their lone loss of that stretch against Ohio State, which went on to reach the College Football Playoff National Championship.

That said, Penix suffered another torn ACL the following week, and his 2021 season was then cut short after five games due to another shoulder injury.

Michael Penix Jr. at Washington (2022-23)

Penix transferred to Washington following the 2021 season, reuniting with his 2019 offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kalen DeBoer, who was named the new coach of the Huskies just two weeks earlier. Once Penix arrived in Seattle, he took the college football world by storm.

In his two seasons at Washington, Penix averaged 4,772 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 154.2 passer rating per season, while completing 65.4% of his passes. He led the Pac-12 in passing yards in both seasons, was the runner-up for the 2023 Heisman Trophy Award and finished eighth in the 2022 Heisman Trophy voting.

Washington went a combined 25-3 with Penix under center from 2022-23, highlighted by going undefeated in the 2023 regular season, winning the Pac-12, earning the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff and beating Texas in the semifinal round to advance to the National Championship Game — prior to losing to Michigan.

Falcons bench Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix Jr.

Michael Penix Jr. NFL experience

Penix has appeared in just two games this season, both times with the Falcons down three-plus scores, and has only thrown five passes. He also appeared in just one preseason game, which was a 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

In the aforementioned preseason game, Penix totaled 104 passing yards and a 76.0 passer rating, while completing 9 of 16 passes (56.2%).

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