Lions: Morice Norris Set After Injury; Game Suspended in Atlanta

Preseason game between Lions and Falcons suspended after Morice Norris injury

The preseason game between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was suspended in the fourth quarter following a concerning injury to Lions safety Morice Norris. Norris suffered the injury while attempting to tackle Atlanta rookie Nathan Carter with 14:50 remaining in the game. Norris’s helmet impacted the running back’s midsection, and his head snapped back after the hit. The player was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, where he is in stable condition, the Lions said in a statement. The team added that Norris had “sensation and movement in all his extremities.”

We want to thank the Atlanta Falcons organization, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium emergency team, and the doctors and staff at Grady for their support.

Statement from the Detroit Lions

The game was halted for approximately 20 minutes while medical staff attended to Norris on the field. Players from both teams joined in prayer as an ambulance entered the field to transport Norris on a stretcher. After the resumption, Falcons quarterback Emory Jones took a play and held the ball while players from both teams remained on the line of scrimmage and the clock kept running. Finally, with 6:31 remaining, an official announced the suspension of the game “by order of New York.” The Lions were leading the score 17-10 when the game was stopped.

Lions coach Dan Campbell explained that the decision to suspend the game was made by the coaches.

Raheem Morris is a class act. We agreed it wasn’t appropriate to finish the game.

Dan Campbell, Lions coach

Lions quarterback Kyle Allen indicated that the severity of the injury was immediately apparent to the medical staff.

Normally, you see a couple of trainers on the field. It’s never good when they bring out the stretchers. We just started praying for him and hoping for the best.

Kyle Allen, Lions quarterback

Allen added that the decision not to finish the game was simple.

I don’t think anyone on the bench wanted to play. We weren’t part of that decision, but you could see in everyone’s eyes that it wasn’t worth it.

Kyle Allen, Lions quarterback

Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington shared that both he and his teammates also did not want to continue the game.

It’s someone’s life, and that’s more important than football.

Casey Washington, Falcons wide receiver

Norris, 24, joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2024 from Fresno State. He spent time on Detroit’s practice squad before being promoted to the active roster last season. He was re-signed in January after participating in two games the previous year. Campbell indicated that Norris’s mother, Francina Pleasant, was with him at the hospital.

It’s something that makes you reflect. It makes you see things differently. And I tell you, it’s a violent game and we love it. And when something like this happens, the positive side is… brotherhood. I mean, seeing all those guys from that team, our team, come together and all thinking about another player, that means a lot.

Dan Campbell, Lions coach

Morris commented that he spoke with his players after the match about what happened.

You see it in their eyes, and you see it, and you have the opportunity to address the team and talk about your prayers and your thoughts for Mo and his family. And you talk about [the players] and their families and their well-being and everything we’ve shared together. It was pretty easy to talk about those things with those guys.

Raheem Morris, Falcons coach

In August 2023, two preseason games were cut short due to injuries.