Michael Penix Jr.’s fiancee Olivia Carter shares wholesome reaction to Falcons QB being included in history-making NFL event

Michael Penix Jr. will start Week 1 of the NFL season as the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. On Thursday, news of NFL history taking place this week circulated online and it was celebrated by Penix's fiancee Olivia Carter.

Olivia Carter reshared a post from Bleacher Report on Instagram, where it stated that there are 16 black quarterbacks who are listed as starters for Week 1 of the season. That's an NFL record for starting quarterbacks and Carter celebrated this news and added heart emojis to show her love.

Olivia Carter celebrated Michael Penix Jr.'s starting role with the Atlanta Falcons. (Photo via Olivia Carter's Instagram Story)

Michael Penix Jr. was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Penix took over the starting role from veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season. In five games, three of which he started, Penix completed 61 of 105 passes for a total of 775 yards and three touchdowns.

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Penix will now face his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.

Michael Penix Jr.'s fiancee Olivia shared heartfelt message on QB's birthday

Michael Penix Jr. and Olivia Carter tend to keep their relationship lowkey on social media, only documenting the big occasions in life. In May, Carter celebrated the quarterback's 25th birthday with a heartfelt post on Instagram.

Olivia Carter shared her feelings for her fiancee and how grateful she is to have him in her life.

"happy birthday to the love of my life. Michael, you are the kindest, smartest, most patient and the most genuine man. you have the biggest heart I have ever known. your love makes me feel like most beautiful and blessed girl in the world. I feel so blessed to be by your side Michael. I pray for endless blessings and happiness for you in this new age. God knows you deserve it all. I love you with all of me. Happy birthday my fiancé ❤️"-Olivia Carter wrote on Instagram

Carter and Penix went "Instagram Official" with their relationship in November 2023. The quarterback proposed to Carter on December 28, 2024 and the two shared a joint post on the social media platform announcing their big news.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

Know More

Falcons Nation! Check out the latest Atlanta Falcons Schedule and dive into the latest Falcons Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Bethany Cohen