NFL players are reportedly voicing their reluctance to play again following Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
The 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety guard remains sedated in intensive care after collapsing on the field and being resuscitated after Monday’s Cincinnati Bengals hit Tee Higgins.
Members of both teams were visibly stunned as medical staff resuscitated Hamlin on the field, with some even breaking down in tears at the traumatic scene.
Players are reportedly voicing their reluctance to return following Damar Hamlin’s collapse
Both Bills (above) and Bengals players were visibly upset when Hamlin was resuscitated on the field
According to a Wall Street Journal report, there have already been talks about whether some players across the league feel ready to return to the court to play this weekend.
As prayers and wishes flooded in from across the league, some stars, whether they witnessed the incident firsthand on the field or on TV, are said to have expressed a wish for the Week 18 games to be postponed, with NFL agent David Canter said this. has been real talk in the last two days since Hamlin’s incident.
The issue of mental health among athletes has risen to prominence in recent years, with stars like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka getting into fights.
A recent 2019 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that elite athletes may be more likely to suffer from trauma-related mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, than the general population.
The 24-year-old remains in intensive care after suffering a heart attack on Monday
As a result, sports officials are reportedly being increasingly called upon to treat athletes’ mental health as much as their physical well-being.
A sports psychologist, Dr. Scott Goldman added that the situation presents a difficult debate as everyone deals with trauma differently.
He explained that some players “couldn’t play” while their colleague is still in an unstable condition, while returning to the field could be “refuge and distraction” for others.
The day after Hamlin’s collapse, both the NFL Players Association and the league drew attention to the mental health options available to players.
The NFLPA tweeted, “ALL players: Please get in touch if you need someone to talk to. There are several resources available to you’ with a link to counseling options on the NFLPA website.
In a memo sent to teams on Tuesday, Commissioner Roger Goodell said each club should receive information from Dr. Nyaka NiiLampti, the league’s vice president of wellness and clinical services, about mental health and support resources available to players and staff. It added that additional resources could be made available to any team that requests them.
The Bills will return to training for the first time since Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on Wednesday
Buffalo will take on the New England Patriots Sunday in Week 18 at 1 p.m
The NFL confirmed Tuesday the remainder of the crucial game between Bills and Bengals will not be played this week, with a decision pending on when the showdown will resume.
However, the league added that no changes were made to the Week 18 schedule, which sees the Bills take on the New England Patriots.
The Bills took the first small steps towards normality on Wednesday when the organization said it would hold meetings and do a tour but would not guarantee media availability.
On Wednesday, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson spoke about the emotional meeting with his players the day after the incident and how his focus was on supporting them as best he could ahead of the AFC South showdown against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.
Doug Pederson opened up about support for his Jaguars players following the incident
“I’ve never seen a situation like this,” he said on Good Morning Football. “You knew there was more going on. Everything somehow disappeared and life became the most important thing.
“Monday evening the coaching went away. I thought of Damar. Our boys came the next day. What was I trying to say? We play for AFC South. you have to be real I want the players to know we’re here. I want my boys to speak; to be open.’
The Jaguars were due to practice on Tuesday, the day after Hamlin’s collapse, and Pederson has since opened up about his discussion with his players.
“I met with my players council and talked about it a bit first to see where they stand and to get a sense of the football team’s headroom,” he added.
“I was just honest with them. I shared from the heart. I went through a situation with my brother a year ago and while it’s different you saw it on Monday night from both teams if you just look at the struggle and the mental anguish the players are going through.
“How can I support my football team? We’re providing these resources through psychologists, through clergy, through other people even outside of the organization to really help these players speak out.
Hamlin introduced himself alongside mum Nina during his playtime as a kid – he said he chose to stay close to home when he went to college so he could be close to his family
Bills fans attend a candlelight prayer vigil for player Damar Hamlin at Orchard Park, Buffalo, NY
Football fans gather outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for Hamlin, Ohio
“I don’t want our boys to have any feelings. I want them to speak up, I want them to be open because situations like this hit everyone a little differently.”
Hamlin was immediately rushed to the hospital after being administered CPR on the field while surrounded by his horrified teammates after suffering a big hit in the early stages of Monday night’s NFL game.
He is currently in critical condition and the sporting world is shocked at his sudden deterioration.
Updates on Hamlin’s condition have been positive in the days since, as his ventilator use was reduced from 100 percent to 50 percent late Tuesday.
ESPN spoke to friend and family representative Jordon Rooney outside the Cincinnati hospital on Wednesday, and he shared the positive news that doctors were pleased with the progress he’s made.
He added that there is “no clarity at the moment as to how long things are going to take, how things are going to go,” before clarifying that Hamlin is “still sedated and in critical condition in intensive care.”
Rooney was also quick to correct “misinformation” spread about how many times Hamlin was resuscitated after the player’s uncle told reporters it had happened twice, once at the stadium and once at the hospital.
Now it has been revealed that there was only one revival, on the field by the stadium.