“I just salute them for always sticking with me and always supporting me. My family in general, they, they all always been there for me, always supported me at a high level.” This shows how much his family matters to Michael Penix Jr. when he said this back in January 2024. From raising him in Dade City, Florida, to moving to Tampa, Florida, to pursue his dreams, his family and his parents have been with him, sacrificing for his growth.

Raised by the former athlete parents, Takisha and Michael Penix Sr., he inherited gaming responsibilities and mindset from his family. And it paved Heisman finalist Husky Michael’s path to the NFL in 2024. And now, after completing his debut season with 775 passing yards and 3 TDs passes, Penix is all set for his second season with the Falcons. But, before taking on his QB responsibility, he got emotional. His touching message to his family melted many hearts.

And it’s nothing new. Back when he was torching the gridiron in the Sugar Bowl with the Huskies, he carried his roots. MP Jr. put up a monster stat line in 2023 with the Huskies, completing 363 of 555 passes (65.4%) for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 157.1 passer rating across 15 games, including the CFP National Championship against Michigan. He posted a season-high 473 yards and 5 touchdowns against Michigan State on September 17, while also tossing for 430 yards and 2 scores in a dramatic 37-31 win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl semifinal.

And despite falling short in the national title game, he recounted his family sacrifices for his career growth. It was another emotional moment that caught the public eye. And fast forward to now, his sweet yet touching message for his family is making rounds on the internet. So, Penix Jr.’s team Atlanta Falcons, took a moment to drop a short clip, featuring his emotional tribute. “See y’all tomorrow,” they mentioned in their post caption, tagging Michael Penix Jr. @themikepenix.

Falcons QB rolled out his sentiments for his family just a few days ago to start off the 2025 season. “My pad’s coming off. You can turn the camera off. I’ll see y’all tomorrow,” Penix asserted with a heavy voice. Not only this, few moments later, he expressed his love for his mom, Takisha, a former track star at Tennessee Tech. “What’s up, Mom? I love you, Mom,” he said. Emotional QB, whose career trajectory is shaped by his father, Michael Penix Sr., former RB, could not resist expressing his adoration for him. “I love you, Dad,” the NFL QB stated, who was coached by him at Pasco High School.

He did not stop there. He went on to demonstrate his feelings for his siblings. “What’s up, Olivia? I wish she was here. I still love you, though. My little brothers, love y’all,” he said. Additionally, he did not forget to mention grandmas in his heartwarming salute. “Grandmas, love y’all. Everybody, I love y’all. Don’t cut that out,” he concluded.

In this instance, it is pretty much clear that he draws inspiration from his family. And his latest tribute is understandable as it came just ahead of the season. Though his adoration for his family is not new, a few months back, he highlighted his family’s support, dedication, and sacrifices during an interview with Adam Breneman, an ex-Arizona State player. “My family, My Parents. They have sacrificed so much for me,” a former Huskies player reflected.

Additionally, he recounted his family’s decision in high school as they shifted from Dade City, Florida, to Tampa just for his career’s sake. “That decision was made because of me and my future. They gotta leave their friends because of me. I just salute them for it, he further added. And now his salute just came before the Falcons’ preseason opener game against the Lions.

Michael Penix Jr’s Falcons preseason opener game vs the Lions

Penix teammates are all set to showcase their determination in their first preseason game on Friday night against the Lions. Unfortunately for fans who are going to the game, Penix will not be sporting a suit. Shockingly, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris already announced that starting QB Penix Jr. will not play in Friday’s preseason opener game against the Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Additionally, Morris also provided the same details about his other QB, Kirk Cousins. As per HC, Cousins will also not be playing in the season opener game. But it will be the first time that fans see rookies Xavier Watts, Jack Nelson, James Pearce Jr., Billy Bowman, and Jalon Walker in game action.

Interestingly, the reason behind this is quite genuine. Morris made this decision primarily because he wanted to give Penix an abundance of game-like experiences at Wednesday’s full-team scrimmage. And the same thing applies to the other players of the team.

“This is their day,” Raheem Morris explained, making it clear that Wednesday was about giving the top guys every high-level look possible. Michael Penix, for example, got it all — “protection looks, progressions, game situations… except for getting hit.” He stayed in for seven series, the most of any quarterback. Kirk Cousins, also sitting Friday, took four, while Easton Stick and Emory Jones split the rest. The scrimmage ran two hours with a mini halftime. And now, this has set the stage for Friday’s 7 p.m. ET kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, exciting the fans.