The Monday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals was suspended in the first quarter after Bills DB Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
With the Bengals leading 7-3, Buffalo’s Hamlin, a second-year safety, made a tackle of Bengals WR Tee Higgins around 8:55 p.m. ET, got to his feet, staggered and then collapsed onto his back. Medical personnel rushed on the field while the players from both teams gathered in prayer. Around half an hour later (9:25 p.m. ET), Hamlin was reportedly rushed to the hospital with family members by his side.
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The NFL released 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.”
It was originally announced that there would be a short delay and the game was temporarily suspended, but as the gravity of the situation sunk in it and it became clear that this wasn’t a typical injury that we see cause pauses in games all the time, the universal opinion on the ESPN broadcast and across social media was that the game shouldn’t resume on Monday evening.
Our VSiN colleague Michael Lombardi, a longtime NFL executive, posted a series of Tweets @MLombardiNFL:
“Everyone wants to go to the hospital not back on the field.”
“If I’m Sean McDermott I’m taking the team to the hospital. The NFL can do whatever they want.”
“If they continue this game then all the conversations about mental health, player safety and players come first is bull. This game doesn’t matter. Demar matters. There is only one thing to do — pray for Demar and focus on him.”
