Watch Hayden Hurst catch Bryce Young’s first TD, accidentally throw the ball in the stands

South Carolina football legend Hayden Hurst was one of the biggest movers of the NFL offseason. The former 1st-round tight end had one of the best years of his career last season with the Cincinnati Bengals and parlayed that into a big payday from the Carolina Panthers, returning much closer to home, both his childhood home in Florida and his college home in Columbia, where he is expected to be one of the top pass catchers for top draft pick Bryce Young.

In Hurst’s regular season debut for the Panthers, the formerly nicknamed “Garnet Thor” had a nice day, catching 5 passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown reception was the 15th of Hurst’s career, but it was young quarterback Bryce Young’s first-ever touchdown pass.

For unknown reasons that Hurst later called a moment in which he “blacked out,” the 30-year old pass catcher threw the ball into the stands instead of saving it for his young teammate’s mantle.

Hurst’s score tied the game at 7-7 with the rival Atlanta Falcons (a team that Hurst used to play for in 2020 and 2021), and his excitement in the moment caused a lapse in judgment.

However, the disaster was averted as the fans in Mercedes-Benz Stadium did the unthinkable. Without holding the ball hostage in hopes of reward, the fans returned the ball to the field so that the NFL Draft’s top pick could have his first touchdown ball.

Thanks to the generosity of the fans in the stands on Sunday, Hurst now can laugh about the incident. He took to Twitter…uhh…X?…to make light of the situation

Several seasons ago, Hurst also caught the first touchdown of Lamar Jackson’s career when they were rookie teammates with the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. He did not, however, throw that ball into the stands.

Hurst, Young, and the Panthers will take on the New Orleans Saints at home in Bank of America Stadium on Monday Night Football at 7:15 on September 18th.