In his NFL debut, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young threw his first touchdown to veteran tight end Hayden Hurst. However, Hurst was caught up in the moment and threw the ball into the stands instead of giving it to Young to keep.
Young still got the ball back, though, thanks to his backup, Andy Dalton. The veteran quarterback immediately went to retrieve the ball so the rookie could have it for himself.
“Shoutout to Andy, he did a great job, he tracked it down, he was on it,” Young said. “He told me he went and got it right away. Super grateful for that.
Shoutout to @andydalton14 pic.twitter.com/AW4u3HEQEK
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 14, 2023
After the game, Hurst explained that he “blacked out” after the score, but acknowledged they got the ball back.
“Yes, I blacked out and threw Bryce’s first touchdown in the seats. … But they threw it back and the ball is in safe hands … everyone can relax and dial it back about 30%,” he wrote on social media.
According to Young, Dalton was the one who picked up Hurst to make everything ok in the end, giving Young a funny story about his first professional score.
