Michael Penix Jr. has largely made the most of his three NFL starts, with several now questioning why the Falcons didn’t bench Kirk Cousins earlier in the season. But hindsight is 20/20, and it’s clear things are on the right track at the quarterback position.

Except for the Browns and the Cowboys, no NFL team surpassed the Falcons this season for getting less bang for its buck. Translated: The Falcons are clueless.

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,

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.

Because Week 17 began on a Wednesday, NFL.com's Nick Shook didn't rank every starting quarterback as he usually does last Thursday. But after waiting another week, Atlanta Falcons fans can see where Shook ranked quarterback Michael Penix Jr. following his first two NFL starts.

Michael Penix Jr.’s former head coach and offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer was in attendance for Sunday’s finale

The Falcons lost in overtime again on Sunday despite the offense putting up over 500 yards of offense and 38 points in regulation. The defense, however, was putrid, which was somewhat surprising given the improvement the unit had shown since the team’s bye week.

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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.