An NFL preseason game ended with players joining hands in prayer on the field as nearly 15 minutes of game time ticked away.
The reason: They’d just seen a player taken away in an ambulance.
Friday night’s preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons came to a sudden stop following a scary-looking injury to second-year defensive back Morice Norris.
Norris was down on the field after appearing to take a blow to the head. An ambulance was brought onto the field to take Norris to a local hospital for further evaluation, the Lions announced.
The injury occurred on the first play of the fourth quarter on a run by Falcons running back Nathan Carter.
Norris, who was lined up at deep safety, rushed up to make the tackle by diving low on the runner. Carter’s knee appeared to strike Norris’ helmet on the play. Norris was left motionless on the field, with training staff rushing over to attend to him.
After a prolonged stoppage, players from both teams gathered at midfield and held hands. Eventually, the game clock began to run.
The final 14:50 ticked away without another play being run. Referees then announced to the crowd in Atlanta that the game had been suspended by the NFL, according to our friends at MLive.com.
After the game, Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters he had some “positive” information, saying that Norris was breathing, talking and had some movement.
“Something like that happens, it puts things in perspective,” Campbell said. “We’re just praying for Mo. I ask that everybody prays for Mo.”
An NFL game ending early due to injury is not unheard of. The most famous example occurred in January 2023 when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field.
The New England Patriots also had a 2023 preseason game end early after defensive back Isaiah Bolden sustained a scary head injury in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers.
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