Just A Game…

01/03/2023

By: Jeff Yoder

Monday Night Football Postponed After Bills Safety Damar Hamlin Suffers Cardiac Arrest

Severe injuries will always be part of the NFL’s violent game, but the sights and sounds of last night’s Monday Night Football matchup were cause for pause after one of the scariest injury moments in recent football memory. A critical AFC clash between the Bills and Bengals with playoff seeding implications quickly dwindled from an important game to, simply, just a game… And one that need not be finished.

 

What Happened?

With the Bengals leading 7-3 in the first quarter, Bills safety Damar Hamlin appeared to make a routine tackle on Bengals WR Tee Higgins. He stood up after the play, then collapsed. A chilling series of events transpired as a team and medical personnel rushed to Hamlin and administered CPR, and the faces of players in tears and distress told the story. Both teams shielded the fans and cameras from the scene, and Hamlin was taken to the nearby University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

 

Timeline of Events

8:55 pm ET: Injury Occurs

9:25 pm ET: Ambulance Leaves Stadium

10:01 pm ET: NFL Postpones Game

 

The league decided to postpone the game shortly after 10:00 pm ET. There’s no word yet on when or how the teams will resume play. And for the moment, no one cares. Hamlin continued to be in critical condition overnight after suffering cardiac arrest (not head trauma), but new information could be released after the published send time of today’s edition.

 

Hamlin had taken over as Buffalo’s starting safety in place of Micah Hyde since Week 3.

 

Additional Storylines

NY Times: Athletes & Fans Pray for Damar Hamlin After On-Field Collapse

ABC News: Buffalo Bills’ Safety Damar Hamlin in Critical Condition After MNF Collapse

SI: Bills Flying Home From Cincinnati After Damar Hamlin Injury, Per Report

 

Photo: Kevin Sabitus / Getty Images