In the middle of the first quarter of Monday Night Football, Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle against Cincinnati. Hamlin completed the tackle, stood up for a few moments and fell to the turf. Medical help attended to Hamlin immediately with no quick injury designation given in the aftermath. The game has been temporarily suspended with 5:58 left in the first quarter.
After tackling Tee Higgins, Hamlin’s head hit the turf in what looked like a routine tackle. Players from the Bills and Bengals quickly surrounded the 24-year-old Hamlin with an ambulance being driven onto the field to better assist medical personnel. The ABC broadcast mentioned Hamlin needing oxygen as he was loaded into the ambulance on a stretcher after being given CPR. After the ambulance left the field, the Bills prayed as a team with several players including Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs clearly being affected and looking devastated by the events.
After such a traumatic event, the question remains how both teams can come back onto the field and play a game that thrives on physical contact, especially with little detail on Hamlin’s condition.
We’ll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
