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.
(FOX 2) – In their second pre-season game of the year, the Detroit Lions took on the Atlanta Falcons, which ended in a heartbreaking injury.
This game comes after a 7-34 loss to the LA Chargers in their first pre-season game.
Timeline:
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.
“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.”
The organization announced late Friday that Norris is in stable condition and has feelings and movement in all extremities. He will remain at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta overnight for observation, the team announced on social media.
“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 team said in a statement.
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.
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.
This is a breaking story. FOX 2 will update this report when we learn more.
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