Bills’ Damar Hamlin in critical condition after cardiac arrest on field; game postponed | CBC Sports

Buffalo defensive again Damar Hamlin was in crucial situation early Tuesday after the Bills say he suffered a cardiac arrest on the sector after making a deal with, resulting in the indefinite postponement of Buffalo’s pivotal Monday night time showdown towards the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” the Bills mentioned in an announcement. “He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”

In a chilling scene, Hamlin was administered CPR on the sector, ESPN reported, whereas surrounded by teammates, a few of them in tears, whereas they shielded him from public view. He was damage whereas tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that did not seem unusually violent.

The NFL introduced Hamlin’s situation shortly after he was taken to a hospital, however neither the league nor the hospital launched another particulars in regards to the 24-year-old’s medical situation. The crew’s assertion was launched earlier than its flight arrived again in Buffalo early Tuesday. There was additionally no speedy replace in regards to the future standing of the sport.

Hamlin was immobile

On the play Hamlin was injured, Higgins led together with his proper shoulder, which hit the defensive again within the chest.

Hamlin then wrapped his arms round Higgins’ shoulders and helmet to pull him down. Hamlin rapidly acquired to his ft, appeared to regulate his face masks together with his proper hand, after which fell backward about three seconds later and lay immobile.

Hamlin was handled on the sector by crew and unbiased medical personnel and native paramedics, the NFL mentioned, and he was taken by ambulance to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Teammate Stefon Diggs later joined Hamlin on the hospital.

About 100 Bills followers and some Bengals followers gathered on a nook one block from the emergency room entrance, a few of them holding candles.

Jeff Miller, an NFL government vice-president, instructed reporters on a convention name early Tuesday that the league had made no plans at the moment to play the sport, including that Hamlin’s well being was the primary focus.

An ambulance was on the sector 4 minutes after Hamlin collapsed, with many gamers in tears, together with cornerback Tre’Davious White. The quarterbacks — Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow — embraced.

“Please pray for our brother,” Allen tweeted.

Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m., and when he was taken off the sector about 19 minutes later, the Bills gathered in prayer. A couple of minutes after the ambulance left the sector, the sport was suspended, and gamers walked off the sector slowly and into their locker rooms.

“I’ve never seen anything like it since I was playing,” NFL government Troy Vincent, a six-time Pro Bowl cornerback throughout his profession, mentioned within the convention name early Tuesday morning. “Immediately, my player hat went on, like, how do you resume playing after seeing a traumatic event in front of you?”

Hamlin’s uniform was minimize off and he seemed to be getting CPR from medical personnel. ESPN reported on its telecast that Hamlin was additionally given oxygen.

Vincent mentioned the league took no steps towards restarting the sport and didn’t ask gamers to start a 5-minute warmup interval as ESPN’s broadcasters had introduced.

“It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play,” Vincent mentioned. “That’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive. That’s not a place we should ever be in.”

Vincent mentioned the Bills had been returning early Tuesday morning to the crew facility in Orchard Park, New York, except for just a few gamers who stayed behind with Hamlin.

There was a heavy police presence at Buffalo Niagara International Airport forward of the crew’s arrival. Police tape enclosed your entire parking zone space, reducing off entry to the place the gamers park.

The Bengals led 7-3 within the first quarter of a recreation between groups vying for the highest playoff seed within the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4 and main the AFC North by one recreation over Baltimore, whereas AFC East champion Buffalo was 12-3.

“The NFLPA and everyone in our community is praying for Damar Hamlin,” the gamers’ union mentioned in an announcement. “We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players, and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar’s health and well being.”

The unfinished recreation has main playoff implications because the NFL enters the ultimate week of the common season, with the wild-card playoff spherical scheduled to start on Jan. 14.

The aftermath of the harm was harking back to when Bills tight finish Kevin Everett lay immobile on the sector after making a deal with on the second-half opening kickoff in Buffalo’s 2007 season-opening recreation towards the Denver Broncos.

Everett sustained a spinal wire harm that originally left him partially paralyzed.

Hamlin spent 5 years of school at Pittsburgh — his hometown — and appeared in 48 video games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a crew captain and was picked to play within the Senior Bowl.

He was drafted within the sixth spherical by the Bills in 2021, performed in 14 video games as a rookie after which grew to become a starter this yr as soon as Micah Hyde was misplaced for the season to harm.

By late Monday night time, a neighborhood toy drive organized by Hamlin had surged to greater than $1.2 million US in donations. His acknowledged aim was $2,500.

Fans collect exterior hospital

Kathryn Bersani and her mom, Gayle, had been among the many Bills followers who traveled from Buffalo for the sport and went to the hospital from the stadium.

“This is our family Christmas,” Kathryn Bersani mentioned. “We thought it would be a great game. Joe [Burrow] and Josh [Allen] are such great men. Sad, sad time. Such a shock. I just hope he can live a normal life. It stunned us.”

Chuck and Janet Kohl went to the hospital after watching the sport at residence.

“This is much more important than football,” Chuck Kohl mentioned. “Had to come and pray for Mr. Hamlin.”

Entering the sport, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, together with 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.

A tweet from the Pitt soccer account was easy and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet mentioned, referring to Hamlin by his school jersey quantity. “Praying for you.”