The Detroit Lions’ NFL preseason matchup with the Atlanta Falcons came to an abrupt and emotional end on Friday night after safety Morice Norris was taken off the field in an ambulance following a serious injury.
The incident occurred with 14:50 left in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as Norris attempted to bring down Falcons rookie running back Nathan Carter.
The 24-year-old defender went to the turf and remained there as medical staff quickly rushed to his aid.
Norris received on-field treatment for around 20 minutes before being placed on a stretcher and carefully loaded into an ambulance. He was transported to Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital for further evaluation.
The Lions later confirmed Norris was in stable condition and had “feeling and movement in all his extremities,” providing a measure of relief for teammates and fans.
At the time of the injury, Detroit held a 17-10 lead. With 6:31 remaining, Lions head coach Dan Campbell and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris mutually agreed to end the contest early.
“Raheem is the ultimate class act,” Campbell said. “We agreed it just didn’t feel right to finish that game. It’s an eye-opener. It hits a little different and puts things in perspective. The silver lining is the brotherhood — seeing both teams come together and think about another player means a lot.”
The decision was met with support from players on both sidelines. Lions quarterback Kyle Allen said it was clear from the moment trainers called for a stretcher that the situation was serious.
“Usually you see a couple of trainers out there. It’s never good when they bring out the stretchers,” Allen said.
“We just started praying for him and hoping for the best. When it’s taking that long and there are that many people around him, you just know it’s not worth it to keep playing.”
Falcons wide receiver Casey Washington echoed those feelings. “That’s somebody’s life, and that’s bigger than football,” he said.
The Lions are expected to provide further updates on Norris’s condition in the coming days as they prepare for their next preseason outing.
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2025-08-09 11:02:59
