Lions safety Morice Norris is in concussion protocol and team will ease him back in, coach says

Detroit Lions safety Morice Norris, who was taken off the field in an ambulance late in a preseason game last week, is in concussion protocol and doing well, coach Dan Campbell said Monday.

“We’re going to take it nice and easy here to make sure he’s good over the next 10 to 14 days and reassess,” Campbell said. “That’s good news.”

After spending Friday night in an Atlanta hospital following the exhibition game against the Falcons that ended early, Norris flew back to Detroit on Saturday and returned to the Lions’ facility on Sunday.

“It was great, everybody was fired up to see him. It’s a breath of fresh air,” Campbell said. “It’s hard when something like that happens and you don’t know. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen guys with concussions knocked out — I’ve had them myself — but when you have these and then you don’t know. You know they’re breathing, but you don’t know anything else. And they’re gone. It’s just different, it’s a little different because you’re trying to block that out, but it’s still there."

Norris said in a social post Saturday that he was OK and thanked people for their support. He was hospitalized in stable condition late Friday after being attended to for about 20 minutes by medical personnel at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The 24-year-old Norris was hurt with 14:50 left in the game after hitting Falcons running back Nathan Carter. He hit Carter with his facemask facing the running back’s midsection and his head snapped back after assisting on the tackle.

In a show of concern and unity, members of both teams held hands in a circle on the field after injury.

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Campbell and Atlanta coach Raheem Morris made the decision to not finish the game.

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“We talked to (official) Shawn Hochuli (and he) let us know that the game is still on. We communicated with each other, we told Shawn we’ll be taking knees,” Campbell said Monday. “He said, ‘I understand.’ And that’s the way it went. Then the game was called.”

Norris, a former Fresno State standout, played in two regular-season games and one in the playoffs as a rookie in 2024 after earning a spot on the team as an undrafted free agent. He is competing for a safety roster spot with Lauren Strickland and Ian Kennelly, behind All-Pro Kerby Joseph and Pro Bowler Brian Branch.

The Lions and Dolphins face off in training camp on Wednesday and Thursday before meeting in a preseason game Saturday at Ford Field.