In Week 2 of the 2025 NFL regular season, the Atlanta Falcons will head to Minnesota to face the Vikings live on Sunday Night Football on NBC. The Vikings offense will be led by their new starter, J.J. McCarthy, fresh off a comeback win in Week 1. The Falcons’ offense will be led by starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

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If you’ve been paying attention to football at any level over the last three years or so, you’ve no doubt heard Penix’s name, but now he’s poised for even greater recognition as he leaps into his first season as a full-time NFL starter. So, who is Michael Penix Jr., and why should you be paying attention? Let’s take a closer look.

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Who is Michael Penix Jr.?

Born in Tennessee and raised in Florida, Michael Penix Jr. was not a five-star recruit straight out of high school, though he certainly showed tremendous potential and talent. In 2018, he enrolled at Indiana University to play quarterback for the Hoosiers, but his time there was frequently interrupted by injuries. In all three seasons, including his redshirted freshman year, he suffered some kind of major injury that sidelined him. In 2021, he transferred to the University of Washington, where he would launch one of the more impressive comebacks in college football history.

In 2022, his first of two seasons in Washington, Penix led the entire FBS in passing yards, setting a school record with more than 4,600 yards throughout the season on his way to an 11-2 record as a starter. It was all enough to earn him AP Comeback Player of the Year honors, and after years of injuries, it felt like he’d finally arrived.

“I just make sure I have the right mindset and I attack every day with a purpose. So that when things don’t go my way, I’m able to bounce back and capitalize and learn from those moments,” Penix told The Seattle Times ahead of the 2023 season. “I wouldn’t say it’s going all good [right now]. Nothing’s perfect. Nobody’s perfect. I’m still just learning and continuing to try to get better.”

In 2023, things got even better. Penix again led college football in passing, breaking his own record with more than 4,900 passing yards on the season, and led the Huskies to an undefeated regular season and a trip to the College Football National Championship. Though the Huskies lost to Michigan in the title game, Penix’s future was secured. He won the Maxwell Award as the most outstanding college player of the year, and came in second in Heisman trophy voting. With his college career completed, he entered the NFL Draft, and was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons.

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Michael Penix Jr.’s pro career so far

Though he was the Falcons’ first draft pick in 2024, Penix spent much of his first NFL season as a backup quarterback, sitting behind veteran Kirk Cousins, who’d just signed a major new deal in Atlanta. After a promising first half of the season, though, Cousins showed signs of struggling, and for the final games of the season, Penix stepped up as a starter, playing five games total and starting in three. His presence, though, was not enough to save the Falcons from missing the playoffs late in the season.

This time around, things could be different. In his 2025 debut Penix passed for more than 240 yards and a touchdown against the Buccaneers. More importantly, he showed leadership and composure, leading the team downfield more than once in the fourth quarter in an attempt to secure the win. The Falcons lost after a missed field goal, but Penix’s place as leader of the offense seems secured. Now, he heads out on the road to face a tough Minnesota team, and the Falcons faithful will be watching closely to see if he’s truly the franchise quarterback he seems to be.

Sunday Night Football returns September 14 at 8:20 p.m. ET when the Falcons take on the Vikings live on NBC and Peacock.