Who Is Michael Penix Jr.’s Girlfriend? All About Olivia Carter and Her Relationship with the Atlanta Falcons Quarterback

Michael Penix Jr. is no rookie when it comes to love.

The University of Washington alum made his NFL debut when he was drafted to the Atlanta Falcons in April 2024 in a rookie deal and was named starting quarterback for the rest of the season in December. Through both milestones, Penix Jr. has had a special supporter by his side: his girlfriend, Olivia Carter.

Although it’s unknown when the pair began dating, they have been posting photos together on social media since as early as November 2023. The next month, Penix Jr. penned a heartfelt tribute on his Instagram Stories in honor of Carter’s birthday and wrote that she was his “ride or die.”

“I appreciate you for always being there for me through the ups and downs and always keeping a smile on my face even in hard times,” he wrote. “I’m blessed to be apart [sic] of your life and to be in the presence of your beauty inside and out.”

So who is Michael Penix Jr.’s girlfriend? Here’s everything to know about Olivia Carter and her relationship with the NFL quarterback.

She is from Washington

According to her Instagram bio, Carter lives in Seattle — a short drive from her hometown of Kent, Wash., per the official University of Nevada women’s soccer roster.

She was raised by her parents, Christopher and Regina Carter, alongside her two brothers: Quincy and Theo. According to Kent Reporter, Carter attended Renton High School before transferring to Kent-Meridian her sophomore year.

In April 2017, she told the outlet that she comes from an athletic family, saying, “We all do sports.”

“We all have to do something,” she said. “My mom was a big track star. I wanted to be like her, so I decided to pursue it.”

Carter’s father played basketball, but that didn’t stop him from being one of her biggest track supporters throughout high school.

“They come to every meet,” Carter said of her parents. “I don’t remember a meet they’ve missed.”

Meanwhile, Quincy went on to be a running back at Central Washington University.

She graduated from the University of Nevada

In May 2022, Carter wrote on Instagram that she would be graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a bachelor’s degree in biology.

According to Kent Reporter, she had initially committed to Portland State University, until she received a soccer scholarship at the University of Nevada.

“I’m super excited,” Carter told the outlet in February 2018. “When I visited there, the coaches were great, the campus was beautiful and Reno was nice … I feel I can prosper there and reach my goals.”

She dreamed of potentially becoming an anesthesiologist, per the outlet.

She was a student athlete

Carter had been playing soccer since as early as 4 years old, per Kent Reporter.

“Athletics is just my life. That is all I do,” she told the outlet in April 2017. “I play soccer. I’m always training. I just love to be a runner. It is one of my favorite things.”

Carter was part of the women’s soccer team at the University of Nevada, where she played as both defense and a forward.

In an October 2021 video on the team’s Instagram, Carter said her “favorite moment” was “winning against UNLV last year at senior night.”

Carter shared that she would be taking time after graduation to travel and spend time with her family before applying to medical school.

They confirmed their relationship in late 2023

It’s unknown how the pair met and when they started dating, but Penix Jr. and Carter first began posting each other on their Instagram Stories in November 2023. At the time, Carter posted a photo of them at a University of Washington football game, writing, “LOVE U.”

Penix Jr. reposted the photo to his Instagram Stories and responded, “I love you.”

Since then, the couple have documented their relationship and trips around the world — including to Jamaica in May 2024, followed by Hawaii in July.

She was with Penix Jr. when he got the call that he would be drafted — and when he was named starting quarterback

In April 2024, Penix Jr. was surrounded by friends and family in his Tampa home, with Carter sitting by his side when he got the call that he was being drafted to the Atlanta Falcons as an 8th pick in the first round.

In December, Penix Jr. learned that he had been named starting quarterback and later revealed during a press conference that Carter was the one with him when he received the news.

“I was shopping with my girlfriend and we were at Costco. I got the call, and they told me I was gonna be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season,” he said. “I was actually getting a hot dog, and whenever I got the call I wasn’t hungry no more.”

Penix Jr. is grateful to have Carter along his career journey with him. In May 2024, he shared a carousel of photos on Instagram of him and Carter from the draft celebration and throughout their relationship, writing, “I forever want you next to me.”

Michael is her “best friend”

In May 2024, Carter shared a heartfelt birthday tribute to her “love” on Instagram, writing, “Celebrating you is easy and loving you is even easier.”

“Thank you so much for being you. Thank you for loving me the way you do,” she wrote. “Being with you feels unreal. You make me feel on top of the world every single day.”

Carter continued, “Michael you are my best friend and the man I’ve always prayed for. I thank god he brought us together. The best chapter of my life started the day you walked into it and I am so blessed to have a boyfriend like you.”