Maybe Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young doesn't even want to be reminded of his NFL debut, a 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. If that's the case, his teammate Hayden Hurst did him a favor.

After Young hit Hurst for a 4-yard touchdown pass, the first of Young's career, Hurst cocked back and launched the ball into the stands of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A piece of memorabilia, gone. However, Young seemed unfazed after the game, seeming to trust that he would indeed get the ball back.

“That was not where my focus was at,” Young told the media, courtesy of ESPN's David Newton. “We have a great group of guys for things like that.”

Referring to the Panthers' quarterback room, Young said assuredly “they accounted for that.”

There was not much else in the game Young will want to reminisce about. The first overall pick out of Alabama finished the game 20-for-38, gaining just 146 yards. He also tossed two interceptions in the defeat, both to new Falcons safety Jesse Bates.

Young was also sacked twice, was charged with a delay of game penalty, and fumbled an exchange.

The new Panthers quarterback was nearly outdone by Falcons second-year man Desmond Ridder. After starting four games last season, Ridder was named QB1 for Atlanta heading into 2023. Despite the win, the performance was hardly a confidence builder.

Ridder completed 15 of 18 passes, but for a paltry 115 yards. He was sacked four times by the Panthers defense, and was largely overshadowed by the number eight pick of the draft, Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. Robinson finished his first NFL game with 56 rushing yards on 10 carries, and caught six passes for 27 yards, one of which went for a touchdown.

Young will probably get his ball back in the end. But that won't be the only thing he'll want to fix about Sunday's debut performance.