Bryce Young reveals Andy Dalton tracked down first touchdown ball from Atlanta crowd
Former No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young hit another milestone on Sunday, throwing his very first touchdown pass in a regular season game for the Panthers against the Atlanta Falcons.
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. Luckily for the former Alabama quarterback, his backup had his head in the game.
“Shoutout to Andy (Dalton), he did a great job,” Young said. “He tracked it down, he was on it… I don’t remember the exact story but he told me he went and got it right away. Super grateful for that. My mom and my dad are super grateful for that.”
The Panthers starter and backup Andy Dalton have become fast friends since the rookie’s draft night. The more veteran QB has been an important mentor and sounding board for Young as he dives into his professional career.
“For sure, for sure. I definitely got lucky,” Young said of Dalton this summer. “He’s been great to work with. I’ve asked him a million questions. He’s always been there, so it’s been cool.”
Hurst asks Panthers fans to ‘dial it back’ after mistake
Following the game, Hayden Hurst took to Twitter and admitted to his wrongdoing.
“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%.”
With his apology, Hurst redeemed his mistake. He also ended up leading the Panthers in receiving on Saturday as well, recording five catches for 41 yards along with his lone touchdown grab.
Young went 20-of-38 passing for 146 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss to Atlanta. Looking ahead to Carolina’s next game, the QB and his teammates are focused on improvements they can make to help them take down the Saints.
“We’ve turned the page,” Young said of the Week 1 loss. “It’s been just about how we can be constructive from it. There’s good stuff on film that we have to continue to do. And then there’s stuff that we have to learn from – I have to learn from – and we’re in the process of getting it cleaned up.
“We’re playing New Orleans, so obviously, we need all of our attention to be able to do what we want to do. It takes us being locked in and engaged on that. You’ve got to push what happened on Sunday aside, and it’s been all about growing and getting ready for Monday.”