Paramedics had to administer CPR to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during Monday Night Football after he collapsed to the ground following a tackle, leaving players from both teams visibly distressed.
The game was subsequently postponed after a delay of more than an hour. Hamlin is listed in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest, his team said early Tuesday morning.
Hamlin absorbed a blow from Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter. He initially got to his feet before collapsing to the ground. Higgins was later seen leaving the stadium being comforted by his mother.
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Both quarterbacks, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, could be seen on the sidelines on the verge of tears as paramedics worked on the player. The entire Bills team was then down on their knees in prayer as Hamlin was carted off in an ambulance and taken to UC Medical Center’s trauma center.
The Bills Twitter account sent out a message in the immediate aftermath, saying: “The thoughts and prayers of all of Bills Mafia are supporting you, Damar.”
The Bengals, meanwhile, tweeted: “Sending our thoughts and prayers to Damar.”
Social media was also flooded with messages from players around the league praying for Hamlin’s recovery, as well as multiple links to the player’s charitable endeavors. In the hours after the shocking incident, donations on a GoFundMe page for a toy drive organized by Hamlin had surged past $650,000.
Extreme amount of urgency in treating injured Bills defensive player Damar Hamlin. Ambulance on the field at Paycor Stadium. pic.twitter.com/QLmmn3kqMg
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) January 3, 2023
The scary incident was compared to soccer player Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for Denmark in 2021. Eriksen was subsequently able to return to playing the following year.
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Hamlin, 24, is in his third season with the Bills.
