Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, was administered CPR and then was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he is in critical condition, according to the NFL, which postponed the game between Buffalo and the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.
In a chilling scene that grounded to a halt the showdown between two of the NFL’s best teams, CPR was administered to Hamlin on the field for multiple minutes after he collapsed following a play in the first quarter. He received oxygen, according to the ESPN broadcast, as he was placed in the ambulance and taken off the field some 16 minutes after he collapsed and driven to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
***Disclaimer: I tried to find Dr. Vin Gupta’s assessment on what happened but the clips were not available at the time of writing up this discussion.
“Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics,” the league said in a statement. “He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition.
“Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available. The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”
It wasn’t immediately disclosed during the Monday Night Football simulcast what exactly happened or what his condition is, but officials and both head coaches agreed to temporarily suspend play about 23 minutes after Hamlin went down. Both teams returned to their locker rooms.
The NFL officially suspended the game for the night, but a resumption was not immediately reported. The league also stated his condition as critical.
The NFL wrote in a statement:
“Tonight’s Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game has been postponed after Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin collapsed, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced.
Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition.
Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
The NFL has been in constant communication with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with postponing the game.”
