CINCINNATI — Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field, was administered CPR and then was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he is in critical condition, according to the NFL, which postponed the game between Buffalo and the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night.
In a chilling scene that grounded to a halt the showdown between two of the NFL’s best teams, CPR was administered to Hamlin on the field for multiple minutes after he collapsed following a play in the first quarter. He received oxygen, according to the ESPN broadcast, as he was placed in the ambulance and taken off the field some 16 minutes after he collapsed and driven to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Neither the University of Cincinnati Medical Center nor the Bills anticipate making any statements Monday night.
The injury took place after Hamlin tackled wide receiver Tee Higgins and quickly got up afterward. Hamlin then abruptly collapsed, with athletic trainers coming to help immediately. A stretcher then was brought to the field as athletic trainers protected his head.
The entire Bills sideline surrounded Hamlin as he received care. Multiple Bills players were visibly distressed and comforting each other as he was being cared for by athletic trainers. Many players turned away from watching Hamlin in distress.
The first attempt to move Hamlin resulted in him being brought back down onto the field, but he was ultimately placed into an ambulance, which left the stadium at about 9:25 p.m. ET and headed to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Hamlin’s family came down from the stands to be with him in the ambulance.
After Hamlin exited the field, Bills players knelt together in a circle and then returned to the sideline, with the defense heading back on the field to resume play. Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs called everyone over for a word. However, instead of resuming play, Bengals coach Zac Taylor walked over to Bills counterpart Sean McDermott and met with the game officials present. The decision was then made to pause the game — which the Bengals were leading 7-3 — some 21 minutes after the injury.
The NFL then announced a full postponement at about 10 p.m. ET. The league did not say when the game would be made up or resumed.