ATLANTA -- The ball Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young threw for his first NFL touchdown won't end up in a trophy case unless he purchases it from a fan or it's returned for free.
Read more: Panthers rookie Bryce Young finds Hayden Hurst for first NFL touchdown
Tight end Hayden Hurst, on the receiving end of the 4-yard toss, underhanded the ball into the stands after the catch.
The play came with 5:09 left in the first half of Sunday's opener against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It tied the score at 7 and made Young the third quarterback in Carolina history to throw a touchdown pass in his debut, joining Cam Newton, who did it in 2011, and Chris Weinke (2001).
Bryce & Hayden are gonna be fun to watch 🤩 pic.twitter.com/7OkV4ojkpn
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 10, 2023
Hurst played two seasons for the Falcons and appeared fired up in his Panthers debut against his former team.
Young was more concerned with the 24-10 loss, in which he threw two interceptions that led to 10 Atlanta points, than he was the touchdown ball.
"In the moment, it's not necessarily in the forefront of my mind," Young said. "We're competitors. We want to win. At the end of the day that's what it's all about."
Backup quarterback Andy Dalton is leading efforts to retrieve the ball for Young.