GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The image was chilling as players filtered out of the Carolina Panthers locker room following Sunday's almost epic comeback against the Arizona Cardinals in which quarterback Bryce Young put up career passing numbers.
There was starting center Austin Corbett, barely able to walk with his left knee heavily bandaged, helping guard Robert Hunt pull a shirt over his left arm that forced him to leave the 27-22 loss in the fourth quarter with a biceps injury.
Beyond Young overcoming a two-turnover start that led to a 27-3 deficit, there was the cold reality that Corbett and Hunt could miss extended time, if not the rest of a season, which has begun 0-2.
Hunt had already talked to a fellow teammate who had dealt with a biceps injury before, so he knew NFL players who undergo that surgery typically take a year to recover.
Corbett was so distraught over what he faced that he later leaned his head against a wall outside the locker room in tears.
"Football sucks, but I love this game so much,'' said Corbett, who tore his left ACL in the 2022 finale, his left MCL in Week 11 of 2023 and biceps in Week 5 last season.
This overshadowed what was nearly a comeback for the ages as Young finally got into a groove against a defense that softened its coverage with a big lead.
The No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft made what coach Dave Canales called some "magical plays'' to give Carolina a chance to overcome a 27-3 deficit late in the third quarter. Down 27-22 after recovering an onside kick with 1:58 remaining in the fourth, the Panthers believed they could complete the comeback.
Even after an intentional grounding penalty on first-and-10 from the Arizona 33 with 49 seconds remaining, victory seemed plausible.
But on fourth-and-15 from the Cardinals' 38 with 26 seconds left, Arizona adjusted its coverage to take rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan out of the equation, and Young was sacked.
That left the Panthers winless two games into the season for the fourth straight year, the longest active streak in the NFL, heading into next week's NFC South opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
"I love our guys,'' Canales said. "I love that we battled all the way to the end. Nobody quit. Everybody did what they were supposed to do as we started to close the game.
"We have to be able to find a way to play that kind of football early on so we can see what we have.''
Early on, Young and the offensive line were dreadful. The line failed to pick up a blitz on the game's third play, resulting in a strip sack that was returned for a touchdown.
On the 11th play, Young attempted a pass as he was being hit following another failed blitz pickup. It was intercepted, leading to a 10-0 deficit.
Carolina showed a little life in a late first-quarter drive that resulted in a field goal, but then Arizona scored 10 points in the final 1:55 of the first half and added a touchdown on its first drive of the second half.
But Canales never thought of replacing Young as he did after an 0-2 start to the 2024 season, when his quarterback put up historically bad numbers. He never thought another lopsided loss, following the 26-10 Week 1 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, might force owner David Tepper to evaluate the coach.
His only thought was "keep playing football.''
"Let's finish,'' Canales said. "Let's play our brand of football, regardless of what the score says.''
Young stayed focused more than anybody. He refused to give in to the frustration of the turnovers and the hits he took early. He took advantage of the defense with throws of five air yards or less, completing 21 of 25 attempts for 114 yards and all three of his touchdowns.
He finished with career highs in attempts (55), completions (35) and yards (328) for three touchdowns, which tied his career high. He completed 24 of 38 attempts in the second half for 217 yards and all three touchdowns.
"He played well all day,'' said wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, who had seven catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns. "I thought he led well, I thought he was composed. I was excited to be out there with him and watching him run around and make plays and have a chance.''
Corbett and Hunt were excited, too.
"It's just that composure that he kept, just the ability to stay true to himself and not just get broken down by our mistakes,'' Corbett said.
Hunt saw the fight in players he'd seen throughout the offseason.
"That we've got a bunch of guys willing to take it down to the wire,'' said Hunt, who felt something in his biceps when he went down. "If we give ourselves a better chance in the beginning, we will probably win that game.''
Young loved the fight, as well. But there were no smiles or words of a moral victory. There was talk of what he had to do to get better, sadness for his linemen who were hurting and optimism for what their replacements can do.
For Canales, there was disappointment blended in with optimism.
"It's just the frustration of what I feel like we have,'' he said. "The group that we've assembled here, and to see glimpses of it, and not to see the consistency ... I know that we'll get there with hard work, but they have to be studs about it.''