As Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons make a playoff push, the rookie QB will be heavily relied upon now that he's the starter.

The Michael Penix Jr. era started ahead of schedule for the Atlanta Falcons. The 24-year-old rookie debuts against the hapless 2-12 New York Giants.

The Kirk Cousins fiasco for the Atlanta Falcons led to a $180 million decision, and the winner was Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons. So far.

Penix, the former Washington Huskies QB, led the Falcons to an easy win over the New York Giants before suffering a 30-24 overtime loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 17. Despite the loss, Penix impressed those around the NFL with his poise in the face of adversity.

Atlanta Falcons legend Matt Ryan is one of the most prodigious quarterbacks in NFL history, doomed by bad defenses his entire career.

Despite another campaign marred by catastrophic blunders, there’s a radiant light shining at the end of the tunnel in Michael Penix Jr. The rookie quarterback stepped in the place of Kirk Cousins for the final three games of the season and performed better than anybody could have possibly imagined,

Finally, head coach Raheem Morris benched Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16. The Falcons offense took a major leap with Penix under center, but they still finished with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.