The Falcons drafted Penix No. 8 overall in 2024 after an impressive collegiate career split between Indiana University and – more notably – the University of Washington. Atlanta's plan at the time was for Penix to develop under starting veteran Kirk Cousins, who the Falcons signed to a four-year deal the month prior in free agency. However, that plan was accelerated when poor play pushed the Falcons to bench Cousins in favor of Penix as Week 16 arrived.
Through the final three games, Penix completed 58 of 100 pass attempts for 737 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball seven times for 11 yards and a touchdown. Naturally, there were hiccups – such as three interceptions and three sacks – but he was a rookie who was unexpectedly slotted into a first-team offense he had previously not taken any significant reps with in practice.
"There's a couple things about those three games where it's just his ability to manipulate defenders with his eyes," Falcons quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates said. "How he saw the entire picture was kind of set in stone for all of us. Like, 'Alright, we got a guy here.'"
There were big enough flashes of promise in Penix's limited starts that Falcons head coach Raheem Morris did not hesitate to name Penix the starter moving forward into 2025 as soon as last season ended.
Penix's tenure as QB1 has already begun in Atlanta with the Falcons' offseason program, which concluded earlier this month, and will continue when training camp begins in late July.
"He's finding his voice," Morris said. "As you know, when you take over that quarterback spot, there's a certain humility about playing the position, and then it becomes a certain confidence about playing the position. It eventually turns into a little bit of almost an arrogance about playing the position where it becomes non-negotiable. We're not there yet. I don't think we will be for a little bit, but I think he's at the mode of where he's starting to get the confidence to be able to figure out how to get to that moment."
One thing is certain: Adversity is nothing new to Penix, who wrote as much in The Players’ Tribune entry he penned prior to the draft. It focused a lot on his journey to the NFL, beginning with prep school in Florida.
Penix played two years at Pasco High School in Dade City and then another two at Tampa Bay Technical High School His family moved for better exposure in the recruiting process. Penix, though, has never shied away from his roots.
"I'm a product of Dade City, FL," Penix wrote. "Population 7,600. No Trader Joe's, no Whole Foods. No steak houses or country clubs. No personal QB coach, no strength coach, no state-of-the-art training equipment. Nothing about Dade City is luxurious, but that's the way we like it. It's a town full of pride, and a lot of our pride comes from football. We swap out summer camps for tackle football on concrete in the 95-degree heat. You find out quick if you're built for this game or not."
Penix was — is — built for this game. Dade City saw it first, and in the community where his road to the NFL began, a street sign now honors his journey.