After picking up a win in his first start of the NFL season last Sunday night, former Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is set to make his second straight primetime appearance. He missed the first two weeks of the season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in November; the former No. 8 overall pick led his Atlanta Falcons to a 35-14 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Despite throwing an interception on the opening drive, Penix ultimately found his rhythm throughout the game, finishing with 256 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Although the stat line doesn't necessarily jump off the screen, the road win marked a major shift in momentum for an organization that was starting to become uncertain of its quarterback room after
dropping its first two games of the season.
Now, the third-year quarterback will lead his team into a division rivalry game on Monday Night Football, as the Falcons take on the New Orleans Saints in what is the 20th anniversary of Steve Gleason's blocked punt. Entering one of the most hostile environments in the NFL and making his first career start against the Saints, the starting quarterback expressed his excitement for the opportunity.
"It's going to be real loud, and that's going to be great," Penix told the media during a press conference. "It's going to be awesome, we're going to all accept the challenge, and we're going to go out there and just compete our tails off to find a way to get a win, and that's what it's about. So, it's definitely going to be rowdy like you said. I played in there, but obviously not at the NFL level. It's a nice dome; that's probably like the only nice thing I can say about (the Saints)."
The last time the young quarterback played in the Caesars Superdome was New Year's Day of 2024, when the Heisman Trophy runner-up carried the Huskies to a College Football Playoff semifinal victory over Texas by throwing for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 37-31 victory over the Longhorns.
More good news for the young quarterback: he won't be the only option his team has to make big-time plays, as running back Bijan Robinson is coming off a dominant performance that consisted of 194 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in Green Bay. With New Orleans currently ranked No. 26 out of 32 teams in rushing yards allowed per game, the 2025 First Team All-Pro selection is poised for another stellar night come Monday.
While the classic NFC South matchup presents one of the more significant games Penix has played in during his professional career, the Husky legend is no stranger to delivering under pressure, especially in the Big Easy.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Michael Penix Jr. Ready for Second Straight NFL Primetime Matchup
