The biggest surprise of the 2024 NFL Draft was when the Atlanta Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick, just weeks after signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract (with $100 million guaranteed). However, after struggling this season, Cousins has been benched after starting just 14 games, and now, Penix takes the reins as the Falcons’ new QB.
Here’s everything you need to know about Penix and his journey to the NFL.
Why Did the Falcons Bench Cousins for Penix?
Recently, many Falcons fans had been calling for Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to bench Kirk Cousins for Penix. Cousins signed a massive contract with the Falcons in March 2024, but he has disappointed this season, particularly over the last month.
Cousins leads all quarterbacks in interceptions with 16, and he has thrown just 18 touchdowns this year. Over the last five games (four losses), Cousins threw for one touchdown and nine interceptions.
In PFN’s QB+ metric, Cousins is the 23rd-ranked quarterback on the season. The only quarterback who was rated worse than Cousins over the last month is New York Giants QB Drew Lock.
PFN’s QB+ metric is a formula that we created to assign a letter grade to every quarterback’s performance. We factor in a number of stats, including success rates when pressured, third-down conversion rate, and pocket production. The added wrinkle in this PFN Insight is quantifying “clutch.” Defining “clutch” performance is an imperfect science, but we use timeliness-based stats to account for score and situation.
The 36-year-old seemed to be falling apart as opposed to turning it on in the second half of his first season in Atlanta, so now the Falcons will turn to Penix in hopes of salvaging their season and making the playoffs.
Revisiting Penix’s College Career
Penix spent four seasons with Indiana but never played in more than seven games in any of them. Why? He suffered a season-ending injury in all four seasons — two torn ACLs and two shoulder injuries. Penix passed for 4,197 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while rushing for six touchdowns throughout his stint with the Hoosiers.
Penix flashed promise in small samples with the Hoosiers — his game-winning pylon reach against Penn State in 2020 was a moment of legend — but it would take a change of scenery and a clean bill of health for Penix to truly show the world what he could do.
Two years after Penix first transferred to Washington and joined up with head coach Kalen DeBoer and wide receivers Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan, he was able to show his true potential.
In 2022, Penix completed 362 of 554 attempts for 4,641 yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, winning the AP Comeback Player of the Year.
In 2023, he completed 363 of 555 attempts for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, won the Maxwell Award, was the Heisman Trophy runner-up, and led the Huskies to a national championship game appearance.
Penix was a first-team All-American, second-team All-Big Ten selection, and a two-time All-Pac-12 second-team selection. The Falcons were clearly impressed, selecting him with the No. 8 overall pick despite having huge needs across their defense.
How Tall Is Michael Penix Jr.?
At the NFL Combine, Penix measured in at just over 6’2″, while he was listed at 6’3″ in college. Penix is right around the average height of an NFL quarterback, which is 6’3″, with nearly 70% of NFL quarterbacks being 6’2″ or taller.
The tallest quarterbacks in the NFL are Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, and Tanner McKee — all of whom are listed at 6’6″. The shortest active QBs are Kyler Murray and Bryce Young, who are both listed at 5’10”.
How Much Does Penix Weigh?
Penix tipped the scales at 216 pounds, which is slightly below the average at the QB position in the NFL (225 pounds).
The heaviest quarterback in the NFL is Anthony Richardson at 245 pounds, and the lightest is Young at 204 pounds.
How Old Is Penix?
Penix was one of the oldest prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He was born May 8, 2000, meaning he is 24 years old. For comparison, he’s two years older than Colts QB Richardson.
Richardson is the youngest quarterback in the NFL at 22 years old. Meanwhile, the NFL’s oldest quarterback is Aaron Rodgers at 40 years old.
What School Did Penix Go To?
Penix was born in Cookeville, Tenn., but he was raised in Dade City, Fla. He attended Tampa Bay Technical High School, where he started at quarterback for two seasons. He passed for 4,243 yards, 61 touchdowns, and six interceptions throughout his high school career, becoming a three-star recruit on 247Sports.
Penix committed to and played for the University of Indiana. He was with the Hoosiers from 2018-2021 before transferring to Washington, where he spent the final two seasons of his college career.