The Atlanta Falcons ruffled a few feathers when they selected Washington QB Michael Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. After all, they’d just signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a very lucrative free agent deal. Using a top-10 pick on a player who might not play for two seasons was certainly an interesting decision for Atlanta.
That timeline is now accelerated, thanks to Cousins’ repeated issues with ball security and general ineffectiveness. This week, Penix will make his first NFL start for the Falcons against the New York Giants.
Penix found out about the promotion to the starting lineup in an unexpected way–and place.
“I was actually shopping. I was shopping with my girlfriend. We were at Costco and I got the call,” Penix told reporters. “They told me I was going to be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.”
Penix continued,
“As you can imagine, it was some nerves, It was excitement, but I’m just super blessed to be in this position. Super blessed to be on this team for the opportunity.”
So what was Penix doing at Costco?
“Oh man, so I was actually getting a hotdog and whenever I got the call I wasn’t hungry no more. I was at Costco, I needed groceries.”
The Falcons have set up Penix for success in his first start. He’ll be facing a Giants team that hasn’t won since Week 5 and is allowing the second-highest QB Rating to opponents for the season.
