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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remained in critical condition in the intensive care unit of a Cincinnati hospital Tuesday, the team said, a day after suffering cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Bengals.
The Bills said Hamlin, 24, spent Monday night in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and remained there Tuesday.
“We are grateful and appreciative of the support we have received so far,” the team said in an opinion.
The game was suspended in the first quarter Monday, and the NFL said Tuesday it would not resume this week. That league announced that it hasn’t made a decision about resuming play at a later date, but said it hasn’t changed its schedule for this weekend, the last of the regular season.
Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and is now in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
We are thankful and appreciative of the effusive support we have received thus far.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a memo to all NFL teams that the league made its scheduling decision after discussions with the Bills, the Bengals and the NFL Players Association.
Hamlin collapsed on the field Monday after attacking Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins after a catch. The Bills said early Tuesday morning Hamlin had gone into cardiac arrest. Medical staff were able to restore Hamlin’s heartbeat while treating him in the field, the Bills said, and he was taken to the hospital by ambulance for testing and treatment. According to Jordon Rooney, the Bills and Hamlin marketing representative, he was sedated at the hospital.
Rooney tweeted Monday night that Hamlin’s vital signs were “back to normal,” adding that doctors “put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat.” Rooney was in Cincinnati on Tuesday to be in the hospital with Hamlin and his family.
“I can’t speak specifically to his medical condition,” Rooney said good morning america on Tuesday from Cincinnati. “I’ll say he’s fighting. He’s a fighter. … Now he’s sedated, so the family is in good spirits. We honestly just take it minute by minute, hour by hour.”
Rooney called Hamlin’s family “strong” and “supportive” and said there were many congratulations from the public.
“There were definitely a lot of fans,” Rooney said. “There was a lot of traction. A lot of people passed by. I think the most important thing is to give the family their privacy. … Often when you see someone on TV or watch someone play a sport, you don’t see them as people. This is a human. His family is going through a lot right now… a lot. I think it’s important for everyone to remember that this is a person and their family is trying to process it all.
said Hamlin’s family in an opinion Tuesday: “On behalf of our family, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans across the country. … Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Please keep Damar in your prayers. We will release updates as soon as we have them.”
Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin’s uncle, said CNN it was “heartbreaking” to see his nephew fighting for his life.
“We were in Pittsburgh watching it on TV and his little brother was with us,” Glenn said during an interview Tuesday night. “And if he [saw] his brother fell over like that… I’ve never seen him cry or scream like that. We tried to calm him down, like, ‘It’s okay. He will walk and get up again. He’ll be back in the game.’ … Next thing you know, it’s 10 minutes later, they’re doing chest compressions. It’s half an hour later, they’re still not playing. I’m like, ‘What’s up? What’s the matter with my nephew?’ …
“We were all in tears, man. And I’m not a screamer. But I’ve never cried like that in my life, man, just to know that my nephew basically died in the field and they brought him back to life. I mean, this is just heartbreaking. And to see all these grown men cry and all the emotion, man, that was really a punch in the pit of the stomach, man. I would have cried no matter who it was. But being my nephew had a lot more of an impact on me, man. I’m just glad he’s still alive and fighting and trying to get better and recover.”
Glenn said Hamlin was resuscitated twice.
“They resuscitated him in the field before taking him to the hospital,” Glenn said. “And then they resuscitated him a second time when he got to the hospital. So I just want to show my gratitude to the medical staff who were there because without them my nephew probably wouldn’t even be here.”
The NFL remained shaken on Tuesday.
“Last night was supposed to be a great night for the NFL and a great showcase for our hometown,” said Bengals owner Mike Brown in an opinion Tuesday. “Instead, the human side of our sport came to the fore … and in that moment, humanity and love came to the fore.”
Donations to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive total over $4 million
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady wrote on Twitter: “We are praying for Damar and his family this morning in Tampa. Moments like this put into perspective what it means to play the game we love. I am grateful to our communities in Cincinnati and Buffalo for the overwhelming level of care and support I know they will continue to provide.”
Goodell wrote in his memo that teams were provided with mental health information and support resources available to players and staff.
“Our union’s focus remains on the health of our brother, Damar Hamlin,” the NFLPA said in an opinion. “We remain in touch with the clubs and the NFL to ensure the Bills and Bengals players have all the resources available to help and support them during this time.”
Goodell wrote in Tuesday’s memo that he had decided to postpone Monday’s game “and that our focus remains on Damar and his family. We are in regular contact with both clubs and the medical team taking care of Damar and will share more information as we receive it.”
The Bills play the New England Patriots Sunday in Orchard Park, NY. The Bengals play the Baltimore Ravens in Cincinnati on Sunday. The playoffs are scheduled to begin the following weekend, and the Bills and Bengals have secured postseason spots. So if the NFL leaves this weekend’s schedule unchanged and then attempts to restart the Bills-Bengals game, it could result in the playoffs being postponed.
“Honest question,” Agent David Canter wrote on Twitter, “Is there a way to push the NFL schedule back 2-3 weeks? I think gamers and their families would appreciate it and actually need it. I’m getting a lot of texts and calls from players and coaches from across the league who are in pain right now. Games pretty irrelevant.”