Lions DB carted off the field, game suspended
Lions DB carted off the field, game suspended
As the teams entered the fourth quarter, all stopped after DB Morice Norris Jr., 24, suffered a serious injury while trying to tackle Nathan Carter, which left Lions and Falcons players horrified. Detroit Head Coach Dan Campbell said Norris is breathing, is awake and talking. His mother is also with him.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit Lions defensive back Morice Norris shared positive news on social media Saturday morning after suffering a serious injury in the fourth quarter of the team’s second preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons.
What we know:
Norris was injured while attempting to tackle Atlanta rookie Nathan Carter with 14:50 to go in the fourth quarter. According to the NFL, he sustained a hit to the head/neck area and was carried off the field in an ambulance.
The injury was so serious that the players let the clock run out until the game was eventually suspended.
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 Lions said, noting Norris would remain hospitalized overnight for observation.
What they're saying:
Norris posted an Instagram story Saturday morning, writing "I'm all good man. Don't stress it. Appreciate all the check ins and love."
(@famousmoe26/Instagram)
Lions teammate Terrion Arnold shared an image on Instagram of himself and Norris talking on Facetime Saturday morning.
"My dawg @famousmoe26 called me today, sometimes we forget how precious life is and everything," Arnold said in the post.
Detroit Head Coach Dan Campbell confirmed after the game Norris is breathing, is awake and talking. His mother was also with him after the incident.
"When something like that happens, it puts things in perspective," Campbell said. "Norris is a class act. He's the ultimate class act, and it just didn't feel right to finish that game. That man's a class act. Always has been."
Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell on Morice Norris Jr's condition
Unity:
After being carried out by an ambulance, and with a live ball, both teams let the clock run out until the game was eventually suspended.
"We agreed that it didn't feel right to finish that game," Campbell said.
In a moment of unity between the two teams, Lions-Falcons players stood hand in hand in honor of Norris.
The final score was Lions 17, Falcons 10.
The backstory:
Norris signed with the Detroit Lions in 2024 as an undrafted free agent. He eventually resigned from the team's practice squad after an injury in August 2024.
The 24-year-old went to Fresno State.
It is only his second year in the NFL.
The Source: FOX 2 used information from previous reporting, the Detroit Lions and Instagram for this story.
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