There are certain times in a person’s life when they will never forget where they were or what they were doing when something monumental happened. This will undoubtedly be the case for Michael Penix Jr. When he heard the news, he was handed the keys to the starting quarterback position this week.

Earlier this week, the Falcons announced that they would start the rookie following the bench Kirk Cousins in front of the team Week 16 match against the New York Giants.

Penix Jr. told reporters he was shopping at Costco and ordering one of the famous $1.50 hot dogs when he heard the news.

“I was shopping with my girlfriend. We were at Costco,” Penix said during the press briefing on Wednesday. “I got the call, they told me I was going to be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. As you can imagine, it was a little nervous, it was exciting, but it “It was just great luck to be in this position.”

Penix was actually looking for livelihood when he heard the news.

“I actually got a hot dog, and every time I got a call, I wasn’t hungry anymore.”

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Penix Jr. added that he was mentally prepared in case a day like Tuesday came.

“I wasn’t going to be surprised by that or anything. I’m not saying it’s something I expected, but ultimately I just wanted to be ready,” he said.

The rookie told reporters he had received at least 35 ticket requests from family and friends for Sunday’s game.

THE Atlanta Falcons sent shockwaves through the NFL in the 2024 draft when they selected Washington quarterback Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick.

Just weeks before the draft, Atlanta made one of the biggest splashes in 2024 free agency by signing veteran quarterback Cousins ​​​​to a massive contract. With three games left in the regular season, they benched the 36-year-old in favor of the rookie.

Washington’s left-handed passer comes from a passing system run by Ryan Grubb, now the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator. Atlanta felt that Penix Jr. fits what their new offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson, of Sean McVay’s offense, wants in a quarterback. He excels as a pocket passer, similar to Matthew Stafford and cousins.

In his final season in Washington, Penix Jr. led the FBS with 4,903 passing yards, ranked third in passing touchdowns with 36 and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

THE The Falcons welcome the Giants on Sunday.

This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Michael Penix Jr. was ordering a Costco hot dog when he was named Falcons QB1