Monday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during the opening quarter of the game at the Paul Brown Stadium.
The Bills announced in a statement early Tuesday morning that the 24-year-old player’s heartbeat had been restored and that he is currently in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital.
Hamlin collapsed following his tackle of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. He then received CPR as well as oxygen before being placed in an ambulance and transported to the nearby University of Cincinnati Medical Center 16 minutes following his collapse.
“Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available,” the NFL announced in a statement after 10 PM ET on Monday night.
90 minutes after kickoff, the league decided to postpone the game. The NFL has reportedly been in constant contact with the NFL Players Association which is in agreement with this decision. So far, no alternative date for the game has been suggested.
Buffalo’s players surrounded Hamlin as he received treatment, with the majority of the team remaining in the stadium well into the night. Following Hamlin’s exit from the field, all of the Bills players knelt together in prayer.
