The name is pronounced, ‘penn-ex,’ and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. would appreciate everyone’s cooperation in getting it right.
The second-year passer was the victim of an unfortunate misspelling by Savannah, Georgia’s CBS affiliate, WTOC, earlier this month. Since then, the ‘penis’ jokes have respawned on social media, where Penix has been ridiculed since his brilliant college career at Indiana and Washington.
Now entering his first season as the team’s Week 1 starter, Penix’s patience has all but worn out, as one fan learned during Saturday’s preseason finale in Atlanta.
As seen and heard in a viral video, a fan yelled something closer to ‘penis’ than ‘Penix’ as the inactive quarterback walked off the field in Arlington, Texas after the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-13 win.
The 25-year-old Penix didn’t hesitate to firmly correct the man, who remained off screen throughout the exchange.
‘What you call me?’ Penix asked.
As seen and heard in a viral video, a fan yelled something closer to ‘penis’ than ‘Penix’ as the inactive quarterback walked off the field in Arlington after the Dallas Cowboys’ 31-13 win
Penix, the Falcons’ starter, didn’t play at all in the preseason, which remains a topic of debate
To his credit, the man repeated what he’d said, which again sounded more like ‘penis’ than ‘Penix.’
The southpaw calmly replied: ‘It’s ‘Penix.’
Many fans online were impressed with Penix’s demeanor.
‘Classy response,’ one wrote on X, ‘called bro out, then just gave him the correction and carried on. Respect.’
Another put it differently: ‘My QB1 ain’t no b****!’
Many others took shots at the fan, who they accused of backpedaling, while a few felt Penix should have ignored the man entirely.
‘He just revealed it bothers him,’ one fan wrote on X. ‘Big mistake just wait until he plays real games in KC, Philly, NY… never had the makings of a varsity athlete.’
Penix is heading into the season as the team’s starter, but Kirk Cousins is still waiting in the wings as a trade has failed to materialized for the NFL’s highest-paid backup. Neither played during the preseason – a decision by head coach Raheem Morris that has been the subject of debate in Atlanta.
Georgia television station WTOC recently misspelled Michael Penix Jr.’s last name
Cousins famously signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons as he was recovering from a season-ending Achilles injury in March of 2024. The team drafted Penix, his presumed backup, a month later, only to promote the rookie first-round pick over Cousins, who had struggled to return from off-season surgery while going 7-7.
A trade obviously makes sense for both sides.
However, such a deal is complicated by Cousins’ $27.5 million base salary for 2025, the $70 million he’s owed over 2026 and 2027, and a cap figure that grows from a whopping $40 million this season to $57.5 million in each of the next two.
Cousins has admitted he likely would have reconsidered signing in Atlanta if he knew the team planned to draft Penix, who went 1-2 in three starts last season.
‘Certainly, if I had the information around free agency, it certainly would’ve affected my decision,’ Cousins recently told reporters.
‘I had no reason to leave Minnesota with how much we loved it there if both teams are going to be drafting a quarterback high. But I’ve also learned in 12 years in this league that you’re not entitled to anything. It’s all about being able to earn your spot and prove yourself.’
