An NFL preseason game ended with a frightening scene Thursday night when Indianapolis Colts special teams coach Brian Mason was accidentally wiped out on the sideline — leaving him screaming in pain on the turf.
The brutal collision happened on the final play of the Colts’ 13-13 tie with the New England Patriots.
Not good: #Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason got taken out on the very final play of tonight’s preseason game and was in significant pain.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 14, 2026
(🎥 @BCampbell__87) pic.twitter.com/t87ZXVZWp3
With Indianapolis looking for a last-second miracle, quarterback Riley Leonard launched a Hail Mary toward the end zone. The pass fell incomplete, but the real drama was unfolding several yards away.
Two players battling one another near the sideline suddenly barreled toward Mason.
The coach appeared to see them coming and tried desperately to move out of the way, but he couldn’t escape in time.
The players crashed into Mason, sending him tumbling backward onto the field.
Mason immediately appeared to be in tremendous pain and could be seen screaming as he remained on the ground.
Colts players quickly gathered around their coach while team personnel rushed over to check on him.
It was a painful ending to an already wild preseason opener.
Indianapolis had spent much of the night playing from behind after committing four turnovers before kicker Spencer Shrader drilled a booming 61-yard field goal with just 1:16 remaining to tie the game.
Because NFL preseason games do not go to overtime, the 13-13 score became final after Leonard’s unsuccessful Hail Mary.
Several Colts starters were given the night off, including quarterback Daniel Jones, who is returning after suffering a torn Achilles last season.
Anthony Richardson instead got the start and had an uneven performance.
The former No. 4 overall draft pick completed 11 of 14 passes for 145 yards and scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak, but he also lost a fumble and threw an interception after a pass was tipped by receiver Coleman Owen and picked off by Kindle Vildor.
Richardson appeared in only two games during the 2025 season and is now battling Leonard for the backup quarterback job behind Jones.
New England also rested starting quarterback Drake Maye.
Tommy DeVito handled the Patriots’ offense and completed 13 of 22 passes for 128 yards during a solid first half.
DeVito, the former New York Giants quarterback, entered last season as New England’s third-string option before eventually moving up the depth chart. He became the Patriots’ primary backup after Joshua Dobbs was released in March and later received a two-year extension.
But by the end of Thursday’s game, the quarterbacks were no longer the biggest story.
Instead, all eyes were on Mason after a freak final-play collision turned an otherwise routine preseason finish into a painful and alarming scene.
I hope that he will be ok. What was his injury?