Monday Night Football took a scary turn midway through the first quarter when Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin received roughly 10 minutes of CPR and was later transferred to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
It was later announced that Hamlin had gone into cardiac arrest.
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Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 3, 2023
Players from both sidelines were visibly shaken by the event and remained emotional while Hamlin underwent medical evaluations.
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His collapse -- and the reactions of players and fans immediately after -- evoked emotion around the league with fellow players tweeting messages of support for Hamlin, his family, the Bills organization and the entire medical staff.
Please pray for our brother.
— Josh Allen (@JoshAllenQB) January 3, 2023
Prayer is real, and it’s powerful. Constantly praying for Damar and his family
— Dawson Knox (@dawson_knox) January 3, 2023
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Prayer is power and Prayer is POWERFUL we need the world to pray for Damar Hamlin and his family #Love #3
— Dion Dawkins (@DDawkins66) January 3, 2023
I wanna send a prayer to Damar and his family . 🙏🏽
— Ja’MarrChase (@Real10jayy__) January 3, 2023
With you every step of the way 3!! ❤️ @HamlinIsland https://t.co/V5ep99pvjT
— Kenny Pickett (@kennypickett10) January 3, 2023
We’re praying for Damar and his family this morning in Tampa. Moments like this put into perspective what it means to play this game we love. Thankful for our communities in Cincinnati and Buffalo for the overwhelming level of care and support I know they’ll continue to provide.
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) January 3, 2023
Praying for Damar Hamlin and his family. 🙏
— Mac Jones (@MacJones_10) January 3, 2023
Please be ok man. Please be ok.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) January 3, 2023
Others sent their support to Tee Higgins, the 23-year-old Bengals wide receiver involved in the player directly prior to Hamlin's collapse. Higgins himself tweeted that he is praying for Hamlin.
My prayers and thoughts go out to @HamlinIsland the Hamlin Family. I’m praying that you pull through bro. Love 🙏🏾💙
— Tee Higgins⁵ (@teehiggins5) January 3, 2023
While you pray for Damar say one for Tee Higgins too. Just being involved in the play can wreck your mentals and emotions. Pray for them all.
— Allan Bell (@AllanBell247) January 3, 2023
It also called to mind past medical emergencies in sports, such as Ryan Shazier's spinal contusion during a Monday Night Football matchup in 2017.
Prayers for Hamlin 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 i hope everything is okay.
— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) January 3, 2023
— Will Gavin (@WillGav) January 3, 2023For Damar Hamlin you take some hope from Fabrice Muamba, from Christian Eriksen, but this is utterly terrifying.
Forget sport, humanity is what matters, let his team mates go to the hospital to be with their team mate, and call the game NFL.
The impact and outpouring of emotions following Hamlin's collapse stretched well beyond the Paycor Stadium.
"The safety of players in all sports is always the most important." LeBron James on Damar Hamlin. pic.twitter.com/JUIBIUCHRF
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 3, 2023
Praying for you kid!!!🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 https://t.co/cC3ZsnpsjR
— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 3, 2023
Praying hard for Damar and his family right now… 🙏🏾
— Chris Paul (@CP3) January 3, 2023
— Shane McInnes (@shanemcinnes) January 3, 2023Monday Night Football called off after player, Damar Hamlin required CPR after a massive hit to the chest.
One of the most gut wrenching moments I’ve ever seen on the sporting field.
Players, coaches, fans and commentators left stunned.
In spite of the emotional and scary circ*mstances, pundits and analysts were generally lauded for their empathetic and touching response.
incredibly well-stated and poignant reaction shared by @Realrclark25 moments agopic.twitter.com/yTmv7uxgr8
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 3, 2023
Booger McFarland has been put in an impossible position on ESPN and has handled it with incredible grace.
— Bruce Nolan (@BruceExclusive) January 3, 2023
However, there was some controversy surrounding the decision whether or not to resume the game. Play was initially suspended temporarily -- with some reports claiming that the NFL told the teams they had five minutes to regroup before resuming play -- before eventually being postponed indefinitely. Many questioned the league and those who seemed to prioritize the completion of the game.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) January 3, 2023The timeline of this is going to look brutal. Especially when it comes out who suggested that the players "get five minutes to warm up."
If decision makers can't think for themselves in the moment, think about how it will look when it all comes out.
Twitter is not the place to argue about this. In my opinion, the NFL should suspend this game.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) January 3, 2023
At the center of this controversy was Skip Bayless, co-host of "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed." Bayless was on the receiving end of a number of players' backlash for a tweet that focused on the "magnitude" of this game for the regular-season standings. He later issued a second tweet clarifying his initial sentiments.
Are you seriously talking about when the football game should be postponed? Damar Hamlin’s health is ALL that matters at the moment! Nothing else!!! https://t.co/LNlbJLx1pY
— SAUCE (@iamSauceGardner) January 3, 2023
Nothing is more important than that young man's health. That was the point of my last tweet. I'm sorry if that was misunderstood but his health is all that matters. Again, everything else is irrelevant. I prayed for him & will continue to.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 3, 2023
