Who Is Michael Penix Jr Girlfriend?
Michael Penix Jr.’s girlfriend, and as of the end of 2024, fiancée, is Olivia Carter. That’s the straight answer, but let’s be real: knowing someone’s name barely scratches the surfacee specially in the NFL world, where relationships often become as much a part of the story as the football games themselves. Olivia isn’t just a name people mention during Falcons broadcasts or a face in smiling draft-day Instagram snaps; she’s actually become a bit of a quiet but powerful presence in Michael’s post-college life. Fans first got glimpses of the two of them together through somewhat casual Instagram stories in late 2023 usually goofy photos at Washington Huskies games, or birthday posts with enough hearts and fire emojis to make anyone smile.
Their relationship feels new in a world where most sports couples announce everything, from brunch outings to their favorite pets’ birthdays. With Michael and Olivia, the beginning may have been a little mysterious did they meet through friends? Was it a random campus run-in? Nobody’s really said. What’s certain is that by November 2023, their online posts gave “soft launch” energy, if you know what I mean. Just a subtle “LOVE U” from Olivia on her story at a University of Washington game, reposted by Michael with a simple, honest “I love you”. Nothing fancy, but honestly that’s what’s kind of charming. (Who even remembers the first time they said “I love you” anymore? They’ll always have Instagram.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/DEIXw4ZPFNA/
So, who is Olivia Carter in her own right? She’s not just known as “Michael’s girlfriend.” Olivia played soccer at the University of Nevada, which definitely earns her double athletic cred in the relationship. She studied biochemistry yes, brains and athleticism and talked about taking time after graduation to travel and soak up family moments before applying to medical school. Michael definitely scored points there. The two have posted photos from their trips: Jamaica in May 2024, Hawaii in July. There’s one picture of them at the NFL Draft party in Tampa, both looking like they’d just hacked life’s cheat code.
Of course, the football crowd really sat up and noticed after the Atlanta Falcons drafted Michael in April 2024. Olivia was right there in the room, smiling, while Michael got the Big Call. As he tells it, he was actually with Olivia at a Costco, clutching a hot dog, when he learned he’d become the Falcons’ starting quarterback proof that real life is both epic and hilariously mundane at the same time. (“I wasn’t hungry anymore after that,” he admitted. Yeah, that’ll do it.)
Social media isn’t their biggest stage, but they’ve had some memorable moments there. Birthdays feature loving, sometimes near-poetic tributes swapped across timelines. Michael has called Olivia his “ride or die” and thanked her for always keeping a smile on his face even on tough days. Olivia, in turn, has posted that “celebrating you is easy and loving you is even easier.” It’s the kind of public affection that makes you want to root for them, even if you’re only half-paying attention to football.
Their story isn’t some TV drama. It’s not all staged announcements and choreographed magazine shoots. It’s pranks in dorm rooms, a trip to Costco, a big leap on NFL draft day, and most recently a joint social post announcing their engagement, just a few friends and several thousand fans cheering them on from the sidelines. For Michael Penix Jr., Olivia Carter is more than a girlfriend: she’s a partner for the not-always-glamorous real life that happens between touchdowns, media interviews, and, occasionally, a cold stadium hot dog.
