It was a frightening scene at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati during Monday Night Football, as a seemingly routine hit on Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin sent chills throughout the football world — and beyond.
The Bills defensive back had suffered a severe blow to his chest from Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. After Hamlin was laid out, he stood up, wobbled, and then collapsed in a heap on the turf.
One of the freaky things about the Damar Hamlin hit is that it looked so routine. Blow to the upper chest. Slight glance off the helmet. Then he stands up and completely collapses. Disturbing stuff. #PrayersforHamlin 🙏 pic.twitter.com/YhO09uPpZO
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) January 3, 2023
The replay from various angles and the fact that Hamlin had stood up after the hit suggested that it was not a spinal cord injury, but it could be cardiac-related.
The Buffalo Bills on early Tuesday put the speculation to rest with a statement.
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
“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals,” the official Buffalo Bills account tweeted. “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.”
According to a friend and marketing representative for Hamlin, “His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests.”
Update on Damar:
His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests.
We will provide updates as we have them.
— Jordon Rooney (@jordonr) January 3, 2023
Tricia Macke of Fox19 reported, “I am told that Damar Hamlin has been intubated and is currently listed in critical condition.”
I am told that Damar Hamlin has been intubated and is currently listed in critical condition. @fox19
— Tricia Macke (@FOX19Tricia) January 3, 2023
The New York Times reported that Hamlin was given CPR for nearly 10 minutes, which is a critical cut-off time for the procedure. Lack of oxygen to the brain for longer than ten minutes can lead to extensive brain damage.
Medical personnel administered CPR and attended to him for 10 minutes as players from both teams were visibly upset, some shedding tears on the sideline while others circled together and knelt in prayer. One medical professional appeared to administer an IV. Hamlin was later placed on a stretcher and transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
This is not the first incident in NFL history where a player was believed to have been killed in a game. In 1971, Lions player Chuck Hughes died as the Bears’ Dick Butkus waved frantically for help. The Patriots’ Darryl Stingley was knocked out by Raiders legend Jack Tatum in a 1978 exhibition game and lost his ability to walk. The New York Jets’ Dennis Byrd was paralyzed in a freak collision during a game against the Chiefs in 1992. He would later die at age 50 in a car accident. Steelers’ linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a devastating spinal cord injury in a 2017 game. He has since regained the ability to walk. The Buffalo Bills had another injury scare this year as safety Dane Jackson dodged a major spinal cord injury.
The National Football League reportedly did not cancel the Bills-Bengals game tonight. The Buffalo Bills’ and the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaching staff and players made it clear to the league their participation in the game would not continue. The football game was subsequently suspended and will be played at an undisclosed date.