Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, is in critical condition after collapsing on the field Monday night during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Here’s what we know:
How did it happen: Hamlin fell to his back moments after rising from an open field tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Within 10 seconds, the Bills’ team coaches were processing the player. An ambulance was brought to the field within five minutes, footage shows, and Hamlin received CPR, according to an ESPN broadcast. He was then taken to hospital.
His status : In a statement released around 10 p.m. ET, the NFL said Hamlin was in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital.
In a conference call around midnight, the NFL said it had no update on Hamlin’s condition beyond what it had released earlier.
The game: Play was suspended at 5:58 a.m. of the first quarter, then the game was officially postponed. The NFL said more details on next steps would come at an “appropriate time,” adding that Hamlin’s well-being was the priority.
The team: Some of Hamlin’s teammates stayed in Cincinnati while the rest of the team returns to Buffalo Tuesday morning. Buffalo is in New York State, near the Canada-US border.
Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs arrived at the University of Cincinnati hospital where Hamlin was being treated late Monday night, the ESPN broadcast showed.
A few words about Hamlin: The 24-year-old Pennsylvania native joined the Bills in 2021 as a sixth-round pick from the University of Pittsburgh. He has played every game this season.
According to his Pittsburgh Panthers player bio, he was redshirted — meaning he sat out games while still on the team — in 2016 due to injury. The NFL site added that he also missed time due to injuries in 2017 and 2019.
