DETROIT – A Detroit Lions player left the field in an ambulance Friday, and the two teams ran out the clock to end the preseason game early.
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READ: Lions’ Morice Norris taken off field in ambulance during preseason game
MORE: Everything Dan Campbell said after Morice Norris leaves game in ambulance
Morice Norris hurt in 4th quarter
Lions defensive back Morice Norris appeared to take a knee to the helmet during the first play of the fourth quarter of Friday’s game in Atlanta.
Norris, 24, was tackling Falcons running back Nathan Carter, whose leg struck Norris and caused his head to snap backwards.
After the play, Norris stayed down on the field for several minutes. His teammates and members of the Falcons took a knee while athletic trainers rushed out with a backboard.
Ultimately, an ambulance came onto the field, and Norris was loaded inside while strapped to a board. The FOX broadcast showed Norris with his eyes open and blinking before the ambulance left the field.
No specifics about his injury have been released.
Teams mutually agree to end game
There was still more than 14:30 remaining on the game clock after Norris’ injury, but it was clear that nobody thought it was appropriate to continue playing.
The Falcons took the snap and stood in the backfield with the ball, presumably to run out the rest of the clock so both teams could leave.
After a couple of minutes, the two teams formed a circle and held hands on the field, as the clock continued to tick down.
They separated for a few more minutes, and eventually, the referee announced that the game had been suspended with about 6:15 left on the clock.
In all, the final play lasted a little over eight minutes.
The Lions technically finished with a 17-10 lead, but nobody cared about the final score after Norris’ injury.
Dan Campbell speaks
Here’s what Dan Campbell said after the game:
“We got some positive information on him, but he’s at the hospital, and I’ll have to just leave it at that, but obviously, something like that happens, it puts things in perspective, so we’re just praying for Mo. I ask that everybody prays for him, you know?
“He’s breathing. He’s breathing, he’s talking. That’s good. He’s got some movement, and now they’re running more tests.
“(Falcons head coach) Raheem Morris is a class act. He’s the ultimate class act, so we agreed that it just didn’t feel right to finish that game, and that man’s a class act. Always has been.
“That’s an eye opener. It’s just an eye opener. It hits, you know? It hits a little different. It puts things in perspective, and I’ll tell you what: It’s a violent game, and we love it, but when something like this happens, the silver lining is the brotherhood. To see all those guys from that team, our team, kind of come together and everybody’s thinking about another player -- just means a lot.
“I just told them to pray for him, because at that point we didn’t have much. He was breathing, so I shared that and said, ‘Please pray for him.’ I told them, ‘We’re taking knees. We’re going to take knees for the rest of the game -- they are and we are. Until this thing’s over.’
“He’s another one of those young guys. We’ve got some guys that have taken Mo under their wing -- Kerby (Joseph) and (Brian) Branch, and those guys, you know, he’s like a little brother to them, and he’s somebody that wants to be a part of that group. Comes in and works hard and, Year 2, you know, looking for the growth and the kid just wants to get better every day, so, you know, I don’t even know what else to say, to be honest with you.
“We’ll have, obviously, some members that are going to stay back. Some players, I know, want to see him and I know are going to take care of him. I know his mom’s with him, which is awesome. It’s good to hear.”
Morice Norris
The Lions originally signed Norris on May 1, 2024, out of Fresno State.
Last season, he appeared in the final two games of the season against the 49ers and the Vikings. He also made three total tackles for the Lions against the Commanders in the playoff game.
Norris is battling for a backup safety spot this preseason. He had two solo tackles before leaving Friday’s game.