Falcons–Lions Game Suspended After Serious Injury to Detroit’s Morice Norris

What began as a hard-fought preseason contest between the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions ended under grim circumstances Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The NFL suspended play in the fourth quarter after Lions safety #26 Morice Norris suffered a serious injury and was transported from the field by an ambulance.

The incident occurred with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. Norris went down after a collision during a defensive play, remaining on the turf as trainers from both teams rushed to assist. Medical staff spent several minutes stabilizing him before placing him on a stretcher. As the ambulance entered the field, players from both sidelines surrounded Norris, many kneeling in prayer or standing arm-in-arm.

The Falcons trailed the Lions 17–10 at the time of the stoppage. Detroit had built its lead behind a balanced offensive attack, highlighted by a second-quarter touchdown pass from Jared Goff and a strong ground game that wore down the Falcons’ front seven. Atlanta’s offense found success through the air, as Easton Stick connected with Chris Blair for a 13-yard touchdown and Kyle Allen hit Jackson Meek on a 1-yard scoring pass. The Falcons’ defense also forced two turnovers, but couldn’t convert them into enough points before the game was halted.

The crowd, which had been loud and energetic moments earlier, stood in near-total silence during the emergency, breaking into applause as Norris was taken away. Many fans remained in their seats well after the announcement that the game would not resume, waiting to hear word on his condition.

After consultation with league officials and both head coaches, the NFL made the decision to suspend the game out of concern for the player’s condition.

At the postgame press conference, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris expressed the team’s sentiments: “It’s tough to even talk to those guys. They’re so emotional about the game. They’re so emotional about what we do. They’ve all got a lot of respect for the other players in this game, and that was the ultimate show of it by the teams right there. You’ve just got to pray for Morice Norris.” 

Detroit head coach Dan Campbell opened his remarks with a similar message: “Start with this. Obviously, thoughts and prayers are with ‘Mo’ [Morice] Norris. We got some positive information on him. He’s at the hospital. I’ll have to just leave it at that, but obviously, when something like that happens, it puts things in perspective. We’re just praying for Mo. I ask that everybody prays for him.”

Later in the evening, the Lions provided a promising update: “Morice Norris is in stable condition and has feeling and movement in all his extremities. He will remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation.”

The Falcons continue preseason play on Thursday, August 15, hosting the Tennessee Titans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Atlanta will then turn its attention to the regular season, opening at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET.