While we all wait for further news on the condition of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest in the first quarter of Monday night’s game between the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, all we can do is to hope for the best. The team gave an update on Hamlin’s condition late Monday night.
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. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
This is an unprecedented on-field incident in NFL history, so everybody involved is trying to figure out the best way to deal with it. It was of course the right decision to cancel the game after Hamlin was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. And there’s no real thought of when — or if — to re-schedule this game at this point. The focus is on Hamlin and his recovery.
“Medical advice guided our decision,” NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte told reporters on a conference call that took place after midnight EST. “We remained in constant communication with both teams, medical personnel, game officials and ownership. We made decisions that we believed to be in the best interest of Damar’s status and the state of both teams – players and staffs. There couldn’t have been more collaboration throughout this process by all parties.”
Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest, heartbeat restored, on field
In the end, it was a series of conference between Bills head coach Sean McDermott and Bengals head coach Zac Taylor that ruled the day.
Fans and well-wishers have donated over $3 million to Hamlin’s toy drive, and if you would like to add to those donations, you can do so here.
Everybody is hoping and praying for the best. I wanted to take a few minutes to detail how Hamlin has made a difference on the field for the Bills’ defense in the 2022 season. Hamlin was a sixth-round pick out of Pitt in 2021. He played just 65 snaps in his rookie season, but he accepted a lot more responsibility in 2022, especially after safety Micah Hyde was lost for the rest of the 2022 season to a neck injury in late September. Buffalo’s defense, led by Leslie Frazier, requires a lot of discipline and consistency from its safeties, so it didn’t help that Jordan Poyer has also missed time this season due to injury.
That might have overwhelmed a lot of young players, but Hamlin was not going to be overwhelmed. His rough upbringing defined his determinism, but it never defeated him. Hamlin worked hard to get where he got, and when the moment put the spotlight on him, he delivered all season long.
So, as we wait for more news, here is how Hamlin has helped to define one of the NFL’s best defenses.