Play was suspended at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the Atlanta Falcons’ first preseason game against the Detroit Lions after Lions safety Morice Norris suffered a serious injury. The incident occurred with just under 15 minutes left in the game when Norris did not get up following a run by Nathan Carter. Medical staff from both teams responded immediately, and an ambulance transported Norris to Grady Memorial Hospital.
The Detroit Lions provided an update on Norris’ condition late Friday, stating: “Morice Norris is in stable condition and has feeling and movement in all his extremities,” according to a statement posted on social media. “He will remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation. 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.”
After Norris was taken off the field, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and Lions head coach Dan Campbell decided that play would not continue. Both teams lined up on the field before gathering together as time expired.
When asked about letting the clock run without further play, Morris explained it was out of respect for Norris, his family, and the Lions organization: “It was that simple,” Morris said.
Campbell added: “Raheem Morris is a class act. He’s the ultimate class act. We agreed that it just didn’t feel right to finish that game.”
Near the 10-minute mark remaining in regulation, players from both teams joined hands in prayer for Norris as time continued to tick down. At 6:19 left on the clock, head referee Shawn Hochuli announced that league officials confirmed play would be suspended.
“I don’t have much to say,” Morris stated after play was officially called off, “but just thoughts and prayers to Morice Norris and his family and everybody involved, including my team, the Lions and Dan’s team.”
Morris described addressing his own team afterward as challenging due to visible shock among players: “It’s tough to even talk to those guys because they are so emotional about the game and emotional about what we do and they have a lot of respect for the other players in this game and that was the ultimate show of it by the teams right there,” he said. “And you just have to pray for Morice Norris and his family.”
He concluded: “… There’s not a lot of times that happens. I can’t sit here and tell you I have been through a lot of those or seen a lot of those. I don’t think any of us have. That was the moment, the decision. It was the right thing for (both) football teams.”
