The Detroit Lions-Atlanta Falcons preseason game was suspended Friday night following a frightening injury to Lions safety Morice Norris. The 24-year-old player was hurt with 14:50 remaining in the fourth quarter while attempting to tackle Falcons rookie running back Nathan Carter.
Norris’s facemask collided with Carter’s midsection, causing his head to snap back upon impact. Medical staff rushed to his aid, treating him on the field for approximately 20 minutes before he was immobilized and transported by ambulance to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital.
The Lions later announced that Norris was in stable condition with “feeling and movement in all his extremities” and would remain at the hospital overnight for observation. Lions head coach Dan Campbell provided some reassurance during his postgame comments.
“We got some positive information on him, that he’s at the hospital,” Campbell said. “When something like that happens, it puts things into perspective. So, we are just praying for Mo.”
Campbell added that Norris was speaking and moving, and his mother, Francina Pleasant, was with him at the hospital.
When play briefly resumed after Norris was taken away, players from both teams demonstrated remarkable solidarity. Falcons quarterback Emory Jones took a ceremonial snap and held the ball as players from both teams stood still at the line of scrimmage, allowing the clock to run down.
Referee Shawn Hochuli officially announced the suspension of the game “per New York” at 9:35 p.m. ET with 6:19 remaining and the Lions leading 17-10.
The decision to end the game early was a mutual one between the coaching staffs. Campbell said that Morris was the ultimate class act and they agreed it didn’t feel right to finish the game.
Morris explained that the decision was made out of respect for Norris and his family, noting it was simply the right thing to do for both teams given what happened that night.
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Lions quarterback Kyle Allen noted the gravity of the situation was immediately apparent. He explained that seeing multiple trainers and stretchers indicated the seriousness of the injury, adding that the team began praying and hoping for the best. Allen mentioned that nobody on the sideline wanted to continue playing.
“That’s somebody’s life, and that’s bigger than football,” said Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington.
Norris, a Fresno State product, joined the Lions in spring 2024 as an undrafted free agent. He spent time on Detroit’s practice squad before joining the active roster last season, appearing in two games. He had recorded three tackles in Friday’s game before the injury.
This incident follows a growing trend of increased caution during games with serious injuries. In August 2023, two preseason games were stopped prematurely in consecutive weeks after injuries to Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden and Dolphins wide receiver Daewood Davis. These occurred months after Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a January 2023 regular-season game.
The Lions thanked the Atlanta Falcons organization, the EMS team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the doctors and staff at Grady for their support in their official statement. Grady Memorial Hospital is Atlanta’s only Level I trauma center, the highest trauma designation in the United States.
Detroit will host the Miami Dolphins in their third preseason game on August 16, while Atlanta will stay home to play the Tennessee Titans on August 15.
