Hayden Hurst apologizes for throwing Bryce Young's first TD pass into crowd
Week 1 of the NFL season is full of firsts, and in the second quarter of the Carolina Panthers matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw the first touchdown of his NFL career.
Young found tight end Hayden Hurst on a four-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7 before halftime, but instead of holding onto Young’s beloved first touchdown football, Hurst gave the ball an underhand toss into the crowd in celebration.
Following the game, Hurst took to Twitter and admitted to his wrongdoing, and even provided an update regarding the whereabouts of the beloved football.
“Yes, I blacked out and threw Bryce’s first touchdown in the seats…” Hurst wrote on Twitter. “But they threw it back and the ball is in safe hands… everyone can relax and dial it back about 30%”
Hurst’s honesty regarding his mistake is admirable and his update regarding the location of the ball is appreciated, confirming that Young will be able to add his prized possession to his trophy case.
Young may have found the end zone in his regular-season debut, but he wasn’t able to lead the Panthers to a win, as they were defeated 24-10 by the Falcons on Saturday. He completed 20 of his 38 pass attempts for 146 yards along with his touchdown pass, but also threw two interceptions and was sacked twice by Atlanta’s defense.
Hurst ended up leading the Panthers in receiving on Saturday as well, recording five catches for 41 yards along with his lone touchdown grab.
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Panthers’ Bryce Young throws first TD of NFL career
Bryce Young has arrived. The Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback and first overall pick threw his first-career touchdown in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.
Tight end Hayden Hurst hauled in a four-yard pass from Young to tie things up at seven apiece.
The Panthers later tacked on a field goal to take a 10-7 lead in the third quarter, looking for a victory in both Young and head coach Frank Reich’s debut in Carolina. Unfortunately for Carolina, that didn’t happen.
Young’s debut was a mixed bag, as he completed 20-of-38 passes for 146 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He added 17 yards on the ground. The Falcons defeated the Panthers, 24-10, to start their season off on a high note.