Panthers offseason addition is ready to face NFC South franchise that didn't 'believe' in him
One of the Carolina Panthers' offseason additions admitted this past week that he's eager to face the Atlanta Falcons, a team that he doesn't think believed in him. Tight end Hayden Hurst signed a three-year deal with the Panthers earlier this offseason after spending the 2022 season with the Cincinnati Bengals. The former South Carolina […]
One of the Carolina Panthers' offseason additions admitted this past week that he's eager to face the Atlanta Falcons, a team that he doesn't think believed in him.
Tight end Hayden Hurst signed a three-year deal with the Panthers earlier this offseason after spending the 2022 season with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The former South Carolina Gamecocks standout played for the Bengals last season after spending two seasons with the Falcons (Hurst was a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft before getting getting traded to Atlanta).
Hurst said during an appearance on "Cart Talk" on the Panthers' YouTube channel that getting to play the Falcons is part of the reason why he signed with Carolina.
"I got to do it last year playing for Cincinnati," said Hurst. "Got to play against the Falcons — that was fun. Got to run the score up on them a little bit — courtesy of Joey B and the boys. But yeah, it'd be fun. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to sign here is to get to play those guys and to showcase what type of player I am because they didn't really believe in me a whole lot. So it'll be fun to go back there and show them the player that I've become."
The Panthers/Falcons rivalry already has plenty of juice — you never know what will go down with those two NFC South rivals get together. But inserting Hurst into the middle of an already-intense rivalry should create even more fireworks when Carolina and Atlanta meet twice in 2023.
By the way, Hurst won't have to wait long to make a statement. The Panthers visit the Falcons in Week One to kick off the season.
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Featured image via Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
