No player in the NFL wants to have their starting role removed, especially not a team’s franchise quarterback. 

Atlanta Falcons veteran Kirk Cousins had to deal with that reality ahead of Week 15, amid a division title race no less, when head coach Raheem Morris said he was turning to Michael Penix Jr. to play under center. 

Cousins had been struggling despite coming off a 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders the week prior. Before that game, four straight losses saw Atlanta dip under .500. So, Morris had Penix face the New York Giants for his first career start. 

SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE

Speaking with Fox News Digital on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LIX, Penix explained the key advice he gathered from Cousins, who he had watched and studied all season.

"Just let the game come to you and be patient," Penix said while also discussing his partnership with Sharpie. "Even if you call a shot play, or a big play, you don’t have to take the big play if it’s not there. A lot of the stuff I learned from him was a lot of visual things, just the way he moved through his progression, getting to his fifth read, that’s hard to do, especially at the level we’re playing at. Hearing him in meetings talking about how he got to that last read, how he canceled out stuff early and stuff like that, it helped me out when I got in there early."

Penix’s first start didn’t see his first career touchdown pass, but he went 18-for-27 for 202 yards with an interception. With help from his defense, which scored two touchdowns on the lowly Giants, the Falcons won 34-7, hitting 8-7 on the season. 

HOW TO WATCH SUPER BOWL LIX BETWEEN CHIEFS, EAGLES STREAMED ON TUBI

Penix said the usual jitters weren’t there thanks to seeing a few snaps in losses earlier in the season, as well as preseason play. But he also knows nothing can prepare you for that first start… unless you’re acting like a starter each week. 

He said his biggest takeaway from the season was having the mindset of always being ready, which may need to happen next year as well with Cousins remaining under contract despite Morris turning to his young rookie at the end of the season. 

"I feel like I always had to be ready because I didn’t know when my time was going to be," he said. "Whenever it did come, I wanted to be ready for that moment. Each and every day, I prepared like I was the starter. I prepared like I was going to be out there. So, whenever that moment did come, it didn’t seem like a surprise for me."

Penix couldn’t lead the Falcons to the NFC South title, losing his final two starts of his rookie campaign. However, he showed flashes of why the Falcons were so high on him with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Heading into his sophomore season, Penix will continue working hard with his mindset not changing. But his experience with Cousins shows that, while the veteran gunslinger wants to remain a starter in the league, he’s willing to teach the next generation in his quarterbacks room. 

Penix was among Sharpie’s "Rookies of the Year," which marked the inaugural class as they headed into their professional journeys. From signing day, to his My Cause My Cleats this season, Sharpie has allowed Penix to add a personal touch to his rookie moments. 

Now, he’s ready to "pass the pen" to the next class, which includes top NFL prospects Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State and Tetairoa McMillan from Arizona. He shared his love for their respective game. 

"Those two in particular, I played against T-Mac, McMillan, just seeing him live, he makes big-time plays," he said. "He’s a great receiver and he’s going to do a great job in this league, and with Sharpie. I’m looking forward to it. With Ashton, the year that he had, coming second in Heisman, I did that last year, too. The year he had as a running back at the college level, it was something that was very special, and he was almost put at number on as far as yards and stuff like that. Big kudos to you guys."

As a lefty, Penix has had to deal with smudges all over his work from a young age. But he showed his appreciation for the Sharpie S-Gel with it’s "No Smear, No Smudge Technology."

"It was crazy. It sucked when you didn’t have that Sharpie pen in your hand, but I found the solution now, so I’m super excited to be able to do that," he said. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Former President Jimmy Carter was remembered in the sports world on Sunday after it was announced he had died at the age of 100.

The Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons were among those who remembered Carter in statements posted to social media.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"The Atlanta Braves are deeply saddened by the passing of President Jimmy Carter," the Braves said. "President Carter was a testament to the best America, and Georgia, can produce.

"He served both his country and home state with honor his entire life. While the world knew him as a remarkable humanitarian and peacemaker, we knew him as a dedicated Braves fan and we will miss having him in the stands cheering on his Braves.

"Our deepest condolences to his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren."

The lifelong Braves fan was the first president to welcome a Super Bowl champion to the White House, kick-starting a time-honored tradition that has lasted through current President Biden’s administration. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Pittsburgh Pirates visited in 1980 at the same time.

JIMMY CARTER’S PRESIDENCY: A TIME OF 'MALAISE' THAT LED TO THE ELECTION OF RONALD REAGAN

He was also in attendance when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s Major League Baseball home run record with his 715th dinger on April 8, 1974. He threw out the first pitch in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series.

Carter was president when the U.S. announced the boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow as part of a protest against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank remembered Carter as an "inspirational global humanitarian."

"He lived his life with great civic responsibility and took it upon himself to be the change he wished to see amongst others," Blank said. "On behalf of my family and our family of businesses, we send a heartfelt message of condolence to his love ones.

"President Carter’s kind and uniting spirit touched so many lives. He was a man of deep faith, and did everything with principal and grace, doing things the right way for the right reasons."

Carter served one term as president. He entered hospice care in February 2023.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The Atlanta Falcons have taken over first place in an NFC South race that is going to come down to the wire in the final two weeks of the regular season. 

However, the quarterback who helped beat the New York Giants on Sunday wasn’t Kirk Cousins – the $180 million man they signed to a four-year deal this offseason. 

It was Michael Penix Jr., the rookie first-round pick. Many were shocked when the Falcons called his name because they had just signed the veteran Cousins a month ago. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Cousins’ play, though, had been faltering of late, and one NFL Hall of Famer was blunt with his assessment of him this year after Penix looked good in his first NFL start. 

"Consistently mediocre. That’s what Kirk has been this year," Giants great Michael Strahan said, via the Daily Mail. "Whenever you’re a great player in your mind, you’re still that. But sometimes, your skill level diminishes, and it drops. 

"You don’t know when it’s going to happen, it can happen at any point in the season. I think for Kirk Cousins, it happened now." 

FALCONS EXPECTED TO RELEASE KIRK COUSINS AFTER JUST ONE SEASON FOLLOWING LACKLUSTER PLAY: REPORT

The Falcons were 7-7 under Cousins, but head coach Raheem Morris made a change after Atlanta’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders saw more maligned offensive drives just like the ones in recent weeks with Cousins under center. 

But the 36-year-old, who is coming off a torn Achilles from the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings, was a part of four straight losses before that 15-9 win over the Raiders. In that span, Cousins didn’t throw a single touchdown and had eight interceptions. 

So, after throwing just one touchdown and yet another interception, Morris made the switch despite the Falcons being in such a tight playoff race. 

Penix’s debut saw no touchdown passes, but he was quick with his decision-making and on time with the ball to his receivers as he threw for 202 yards on 18-of-27 through the air. He also had an interception on his stat sheet, though tight end Kyle Pitts juggled a pass near the goal line that was ultimately picked off. 

With Penix taking the reins moving forward, Strahan believes that Cousins must play the mentor role. 

"Keep him around, let him teach Michael Penix the intricacies of the game," Strahan said. "It’s good to have that veteran influence, but I think Kirk may have to just humble himself to understand that’s his role right now."

There have been reports the Falcons could cut Cousins before March to avoid the remaining years on his contract, though $100 million was guaranteed at signing earlier this year. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Welcome to the NFL, Michael Penix Jr.

The rookie quarterback was thrust into the Atlanta Falcons’ starting role earlier this week as Kirk Cousins’ struggles became too much for the team to bear. Penix got his first start against the New York Giants and picked up a win even as he battled through some rookie troubles.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Penix was 18-of-27 with 207 passing yards and one interception, but he wasn’t sacked. 

Atlanta defeated New York, 34-7.

The Falcons got on the board with a field goal following an eight-play, 36-yard drive in the second quarter. Falcons safety Jessie Bates III returned a Drew Lock interception for a touchdown to take the lead. Atlanta didn’t look back from there.

Penix’s 19-yard pass to Darnell Mooney helped setup Bijan Robinson for the first of his two rushing touchdowns. The Falcons took a 17-7 lead into the locker room.

RAVENS COACH JOHN HARBAUGH SHARES POWERFUL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE AFTER CLINCHING PLAYOFF BERTH

Robinson scored again in the third quarter. He finished with 94 rushing yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. Mooney led the way with five catches for 82 yards.

It was the Falcons’ second straight win. They defeated the Las Vegas Raiders last week following a four-game losing streak. The Falcons are now 8-7 on the season.

For the Giants, the lowly season continued. 

Lock was 22-of-39 with 210 passing yards, a touchdown pass and two interceptions. But the lethargic offense was only able to have one drive out of 11 turn into points.

The defense didn’t help matters either. The Falcons had nine drives and 22 first downs. New York only had 14 first downs on 11 drives.

It was a good win to get for the rookie quarterback who will need to establish confidence fast if the Falcons are to win the NFC South and make the playoffs this season.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.