ATLANTA — The preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was suspended in the fourth quarter Friday night after Lions safety Morice Norris was taken off the field in an ambulance.
Norris was injured while attempting to tackle Atlanta rookie Nathan Carter with 14:50 to go. Norris hit Carter with his face mask facing the running back’s midsection, and the defender’s head snapped back after making the hit.
Norris was transported to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital and is in stable condition, the Lions said in a statement, with “feeling and movement in all his extremities.”
“We would like to thank the Atlanta Falcons organization, the EMS team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the doctors and staff at Grady for their support,” the team said, noting Norris would remain hospitalized overnight for observation.
Norris was attended to for about 20 minutes on the field as players from both teams joined hands in unison. An ambulance drove onto the field, and Norris was loaded into it on a stretcher.
When play resumed, Falcons quarterback Emory Jones took a snap and held the ball as players from both teams stood at the line of scrimmage and the clock continued to run.
Finally, with 6:31 left, an official announced the game had been suspended “per New York.” The Lions led 17-10 when play was stopped.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell said it was the coaches’ decision.
“Raheem Morris is the ultimate class act,” he said. “We agreed it just didn’t feel right to finish that game.”
Lions quarterback Kyle Allen said it was immediately obvious that the medical personnel saw this as a serious injury.
“Usually, you see a couple trainers out there,” Allen said. “It’s never good when they bring out the stretchers. We just started praying for him and hoping for the best.
“When it’s taking that long, with that many people and that many trainers around him, you’re just hoping for the best.”
Allen said the decision not to finish the game was easy.
“I don’t think anyone on that sideline wanted to play,” Allen said. “We weren’t part of that decision, but you could just look in everyone’s eyes and see it wasn’t worth it.”
Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington said it was clear that he and his Atlanta teammates didn’t want to play the rest of the exhibition, either.
“That’s somebody’s life, and that’s bigger than football,” Washington said.
Norris, 24, originally joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2024 out of Fresno State. He spent time on Detroit’s practice squad before joining the active roster last season. He was re-signed in January after appearing in two games last year.
Campbell said Norris had his mother, Francina Pleasant, with him at the hospital.
“It’s an eye-opener. It hits a little different,” Campbell said. “It puts things in perspective. And I’ll tell you what, man, it’s a violent game and we love it. And when something like this happens, the silver lining is … the brotherhood. I mean, to see all those guys from that team, our team kind of come together and everybody’s thinking about another player just means a lot.”
“I don’t think anyone on that sideline wanted to play. We weren’t part of that decision, but you could just look in everyone’s eyes and see it wasn’t worth it.”
Lions quarterback Kyle Allen
Morris said he spoke with his players after the game about what happened.
“You look in their eyes, and you saw it, and you get an opportunity to address the team and talk about your prayers and your thoughts for Mo and his family,” Morris said. “And you talk about [the players] and their families and their well-being and all the things that we’ve been a part of together. It was pretty simple to talk about those things with those guys.”
In August 2023, two preseason games were stopped prematurely in consecutive weeks because of injuries.
New England‘s game at Green Bay was called off when Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden was carted off in the fourth quarter. Bolden appeared to collide with teammate Calvin Munson while attempting to make a hit on a pass completion to Malik Heath of the Packers. Bolden was taken to a hospital and released the next day.
A week later, a game between Miami and Jacksonville was not completed after Dolphins receiver Daewood Davis was carted off in the fourth quarter. Davis was hurt when he was hit by Jaguars linebacker Dequan Jackson while attempting to catch a pass. Davis was released from the hospital a day later.
The two frightening injuries happened about eight months after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field during a regular-season game in Cincinnati in January 2023. Hamlin resumed football the following season and spent last year as a Bills starter.
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
