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It was supposed to be Josh Allen versus Joe Burrow, but a horrible injury to Damar Hamlin overshadowed the proceedings on Monday night. The Buffalo Bills' safety collapsed on the field and was then administered CPR before being taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
According to a CNN report from late Tuesday, Hamlin's uncle, Dorrian Glenn, said Hamlin is still sedated at the hospital.
“His heart had went out so they had to resuscitate him twice. They resuscitated him on the field before they brought him to the hospital and then they resuscitated him a second time when they got him to the hospital,” Glenn said, according to CNN.
Also, Buffalo sportscaster Josh Reed of WIVB-TV reported that Glenn, who spoke outside the hospital, said that Hamlin is requiring less oxygen late Tuesday.
"Just spoke with Damar Hamlin's uncle," Reed tweeted. "Damar was originally on 100% oxygen and is now down to 50%. Says the family is hanging in there. He thanked Bills fans, and Bengals fans and asked for continued prayers."
That's a substantial update from the one provided a few hours earlier by Hamlin's friend and marketing representative, Jordon Rooney, on the "Pat McAfee Show" podcast:
The Bills earlier released a statement stating that Hamlin is in the intensive care unit and remains in critical condition:
"Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far."
Hamlin's family have released a statement which reads:
"On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time. We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words, and donations from fans around the country.
"We also want to acknowledge the dedicated first responders and healthcare professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center who have provided exceptional care to Damar. We feel so blessed to be part of the Buffalo Bills organization and to have their support.
"We also want to thank Coach Taylor and the Bengals for everything they've done. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Please keep Damar in your prayers. We will release updates as soon as we have them. Thank you."
On Tuesday morning, Jordon Rooney, a spokesperson for the Hamlin family, said that the Bills player is still fighting for his life.
He told ABC’s Good Morning America:
"I can’t speak specifically on his medical condition. I will say that he’s fighting, he’s a fighter. . . . The family is in good spirits. We’re honestly just taking it minute by minute, hour by hour."
The Bills players reluctantly returned to Buffalo in the early hours of the morning:
"The Bills update from overnight says that Damar Hamlin “suffered a cardiac arrest” and, as of about 2 am, remained in critical condition and was sedated. The NFL updated to say all the Bills players wound up returning to Buffalo in the early morning hours."
As of Wednesday morning, Damar Hamlin is "breathing some on his own," according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
He added:
"He was on 100% oxygen, that percentage has come down, which means that he is breathing some on his own. And they're closely monitoring his lungs after what happened on Monday night. They're cautiously optimistic. Butler said this is a day-to-day proposition where they're just hoping, praying, waiting for progress."
The Bills on Sunday announced that physicians at UC Medical Center have been tracking his progress. He continues to breathe on his own and his neurological function is excellent yet he remains in critical condition.
What happened to Damar Hamlin?
The 24-year-old collapsed after a play. Initially, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Damar Hamlin got up and then collapsed scarily. Whether it was the hit or something else is unknown, and we cannot speculate on that. CPR and oxygen were administered before he was placed in an ambulance and taken to the nearest hospital.
NOTE: Out of respect for Damar Hamlin, we have not included a picture of the injury here. The videos below may be highly distressing. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
The effect the emergency had on the players, especially his Buffalo Bills teammates, was plain for everyone to see. People expect injuries in football. However, no one expects a situation so dire that an ambulance has to come out on the field.
Josh Allen and his teammates quickly gathered around their stricken teammate. The Buffalo Bills quarterback was close to tears, as were other players from both teams. It was also reported that his mother was in the stands for the game when he collapsed.
As Hamlin was wheeled off the field, the gravity of the situation was still sinking in. Players gathered for prayers, fully aware that this was a life-and-death situation.
Shortly after, the game was temporarily suspended before being called off.
The game will only go ahead with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's consultation, and he is expected to speak to both teams before taking any decision. However, football is now the furthest thing on everyone's minds.
Damar Hamlin is currently being monitored at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he is undergoing treatment.
