On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers opened up their season with a 24-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in what was quarterback Bryce Young's debut. Despite the defeat, Young made a career milestone when he threw his first touchdown pass early on to tie the game for the Panthers.

However, tight end Hayden Hurst, who was on the receiving end of the touchdown pass, quickly launched the ball into the Mercedes Benz Stadium seats as opposed to holding onto the ball, as is customary for a player when they reach a career milestone.

After the game, Hurst took to Twitter to apologize for the mental mistake.

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Hayden Hurst also noted that the ball was actually thrown back to the field from a good samaritan in the stands. Still, that probably dim the panic in the moment for Young, who would surely want to hold onto the career artifact.

It was an up-and-down game for Bryce Young, who threw two interceptions and one touchdown in the loss. The Panthers' offensive line began to break down in the second half, as the team relinquished two sacks in the fourth quarter to help seal the game for the Falcons.

Still, the Panthers weren't necessarily expected to be contenders heading into 2023, and the most important thing this season will be the development of their players, most importantly Young, who was selected first overall in this year's draft following a standout career with Alabama football.

Young will have a chance to improve on Sunday's performance when the Panthers take on the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football next week.