Penix, the former Washington standout, 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.

The Atlanta Falcons have seen promising flashes from first-round rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s first two starts.

With the game on the line, Penix stood tall. It didn’t lead to a win, but it’s a source of hope for the Falcons.

WATCH: Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. throws first career TD to Kyle Pitts on 4th and goal to tie the game against the Commanders

The Atlanta Falcons saw rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s first signature moment, but they failed to finish in a 30-24 loss to the Washington Commanders.

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.

The Falcons have Penix set up well with an excellent run game led by Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, good players to throw to like Drake London and Darnell Mooney (and maybe even Kyle Pitts if he can finally put it all together) and a sound offensive line to keep him upright. That will matter as Penix finds himself as an NFL quarterback.

Despite the Falcons’ 30-24 overtime loss, Penix’s fiancee, Olivia Carter, took to social media after the game to send him a heartfelt message celebrating his first NFL touchdown. "So proud of you 🤍🤍," Carter wrote.

Penix, 24, announced his engagement to his girlfriend, now fiancée, Olivia Carter, over the weekend. In a joint post on Instagram, the couple shared proposal photos.

The Falcons surprisingly selected Penix with the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. The pick wasn't a surprise because of Penix's résumé so much as the team's $180 million signing of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins earlier in the offseason. After a rough 14 games to begin his Falcons career, Atlanta benched Cousins for Penix.