Penix, the former Washington Huskies standout, was named the Falcons starter in Week 16, replacing veteran Kirk Cousins, who struggled for more than a month. Penix was picked No.

The Falcons surprisingly selected Penix with the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. The pick wasn't a surprise because of Penix's résumé so much as the team's $180 million signing of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason. After a rough 14 games to begin his Falcons career, Atlanta benched Cousins for Penix.

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What an exciting past couple weeks it's been for Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Just days removed from being named the team's starting QB and helping lead them to a 34-7 win over the Giants,

What a stretch it has been Atlanta Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr. First, it was announced he'd be taking over for veteran Kirk Cousins after the struggling starting quarterback threw one too many interceptions this season.