Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin had to have CPR and oxygen administered to him after collapsing on the field following what seemed to be a routine tackle.
There were approximately 5 minutes left in the 1st quarter, with the Cincinnati Bengals leading the Bills 7-3, when Hamlin went in for a hard but legal tackle against Bengals player Tee Higgins.
Hamlin, 24, immediately got up but then collapsed backwardly onto the field and was reportedly not breathing, according to ESPN which was showcasing the game live.
The player was on the field for at least 15 minutes as medical personnel administered CPR and oxygen to keep his pulse going. Players were seen sobbing, praying and hugging other players as first responders were trying to keep Hamlin alive.
After he was loaded into an ambulance, Hamlin was rushed to an unspecified hospital where he is listed in critical condition. His mother was at the game and went in the ambulance with him.
The exact nature of Hamlin’s injuries are not known to the media as of Monday evening, Jan. 2, 2022.
After deliberations were undertaken on the field as well as with NFL headquarters in New York, Commissioner Roger Goodell made the decision to suspend the game indefinitely.
Bills-Bengals has been temporarily suspended after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin remained down on the field following a scary hit. pic.twitter.com/ErFv64KNZa
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 3, 2023
The two acclaimed announcers agreed on the decision to cancel the Monday Night Football game.
“How do you as a member of the Buffalo Bills or the Cincinnati Bengals continue on … to play this game?” ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Buck said during the broadcast.
“They won’t be willing to go back onto the field until they know he’s OK,” color analyst Troy Aikman added. “I just don’t know how any of these players can come out and play football tonight.”
