From one milestone to the next.
Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. announced his engagement to girlfriend Olivia Carter on Saturday, just days after making his first NFL start on Dec. 22.
“Sweetest love ❤️ Olivia and Michael December 24, 2024” captioned Instagram joint post Content shared on Penix and Carter's pages reveals that the proposal took place on Tuesday, Christmas Eve.
Penix, 24, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, popped the question in a dreamlike space decorated with red roses, red candles and large letters that read “Marry Me.”
The couple has been dating since at least November 2023. according to people. They celebrated Christmas together last year.
Carter is a University of Nevada, Reno graduate and former college soccer player. I was by Penix's side. The Falcons drafted him in the first round of the NFL draft in April, just weeks after the team signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency.
“If you can add a quality player like this with the intangibles and the tools, he's a winner. I'm very, very excited. We can't pass up that opportunity,” Falcons general manager Terry said. – Fontenot talked about Penix in the aftermath of the draft.
“Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. We're excited about Kirk and we're excited about our team. Michael Penix is talking about the future. The draft… It's about looking to the future and looking at the big picture.
“But we're very excited about that quarterback room. Again, Kirk is our quarterback, but we're thinking about the future with the addition of Michael Penix.”
Cousins was the Falcons' starting quarterback for 14 games, with the former Vikings star benched before Week 16's game against the Giants in Atlanta.
The 36-year-old quarterback has thrown 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions this season, completing 66.9 percent of his passes.
In his NFL debut last Sunday, Penix had 18 of 27 hits for 202 yards and one interception in Atlanta's 34-7 victory.
This week, Penix and the Falcons (8-7) visit the Commanders (10-5) on “Sunday Night Football.”
