Michael Penix Jr.

Indiana

As a true freshman for the Hoosiers in 2018 at Indiana, Penix played in three games, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and was redshirted.^[4] He completed 21 of 34 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown.^[5] Named the starter entering the 2019 season,^[6][7][8] Penix, however, only played in six games due to injury, completing 110 of 160 passes for 1,394 yards, with ten touchdowns and four interceptions.^[9] Penix returned to Indiana as the starter for the pandemic-shortened season in 2020.^[10][11][12] On November 30, he was ruled out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in a win against Maryland.^[13]

Washington

Penix transferred to the University of Washington in December 2021.^[14] He was the FBS leader in passing yards per game for the 2022 season (357) and led the Huskies to an 11–2 record.^[15] He threw 4,641 passing yards, becoming the Washington Huskies all-time single-season passing leader during the Alamo Bowl. He was named AP Comeback Player of the Year.^[16][17]

In his senior year, Penix led the 2023 Huskies to an undefeated 13-0 regular season, a victory over Texas in the CFP Semifinal Game, and the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship game, which they lost 34–13 to Michigan.^[18][19][20] Penix won the Maxwell Award and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest ever for a Husky.^{[21][22][23][24]} He led the NCAA in passing yards with 4,903, beating his previously set University of Washington single-season passing yards record.^[25] Penix was named MVP of the Pac-12 Championship Game, leading UW to a win over rival No. 5 Oregon, and threw for 27-for-39 for 319 yards, one touchdown and one interception.^[26]

College statistics

2024 season

Penix was selected by the Atlanta Falcons as the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.^[29] The pick was seen as a major surprise because the Falcons had signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract earlier in the offseason.^[30][31][32] He was the fourth of six quarterbacks taken in the first round, tied with the 1983 draft for the most in NFL history.^[33] Penix signed a four-year fully-guaranteed contract worth $22.8 million on June 24, 2024.^[34]

Penix began his rookie season as a backup to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins. On October 20, Penix made his NFL debut late in the fourth quarter during the Falcons' blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks, completing his lone pass for 14 yards to Casey Washington.^[35] Following poor play from Cousins, the Falcons announced on December 17 that Penix would replace Cousins as the starting quarterback, beginning with their week 16 matchup against the New York Giants.^[36] In his first career start, Penix completed 18-of-27 passes for 202 yards, including one interception after a bobbled pass by Kyle Pitts, as the Falcons routed the Giants 34–7.^[37] In week 17, on Sunday Night Football, against the Washington Commanders Penix completed his first touchdown pass, to Kyle Pitts, to tie the game with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter. He finished 19 of 35 passes, for 223 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception. The game went into overtime, and eventually the Commanders won 30–24. ^[38] The game was the first time in NFL history that two rookie quarterbacks selected in the first round faced off against each other in a prime-time game, as Penix faced off against rookie Jayden Daniels. ^[39] This loss would eventually eliminate the Falcons from Playoff contention, following a win the following week by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ^[40]

2025 season

Prior to the season, it was confirmed that Penix would continue as Atlanta's starting quarterback, making Cousins his backup. In the 30–0 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, he was benched for Cousins in the fourth quarter with roughly ten minutes remaining after recording 18 passes for 172 yards and two interceptions (with one returned for a touchdown).^[41] In Week 11 against the Panthers, Penix exited the game with a left knee injury in the third quarter. On November 17, he was placed on injured reserve.^[42] On November 19, the Falcons announced that Penix would undergo season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn ACL.^[43]