Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and was taken away in an ambulance after making a tackle on Monday Night Football.
The scary scene unfolded during the first quarter of the Bills game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Ohio. Hamlin tackled Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins, got to his feet, and then collapsed.
Trainers surrounded him and medical personnel administered CPR. An ambulance reversed onto the field, and Hamlin was placed inside.
The 24-year-old’s teammates could be seen crying and praying as they gathered around him on the field. About 20 minutes after the incident, officials announced the game would be temporarily suspended until further notice.
Following increasing calls for the game to be formally suspended, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the game was postponed.
The team later said Hamlin had suffered a cardiac arrest and his heartbeat was restored on the field. Early Tuesday, he was sedated and in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The NFL issued a statement saying: “Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedic. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition. Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available.”
Cincinnati FOX19 sports reporter Joe Danneman reported that Hamlin required a defibrillator and CPR on the field.
The Buffalo Bills tweeted that “the thoughts and prayers of all of Bills Mafia are supporting you, Damar.” The Bengals said they were “sending our thoughts and prayers to Damar.”
Hamlin played college football at the University of Pittsburgh before the Buffalo Bills drafted him in 2021. He signed a four-year rookie contract with the Bills in May 2021.
Social media was flooded with well wishes for the player, who had just days ago posted on Instagram about his charity foundation’s third annual toy drive for kids in need.
“As I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me,” he had written on a GoFundMe page for the first drive. “I created The Chasing M’s Foundation as a vehicle that will allow me to deliver that impact, and the first program is the 2020 Community Toy Drive.”
That fundraiser, which had a goal of $2,500, was inundated with donations after Monday night’s incident, accumulating more than $900,000 in less than two hours.
Liza Hearon contributed to this story.