Only 24-year-old Damar Hamlin collided with player Tee Higgins in the first quarter of the game once morest the Bengals. At first he got up once more, but three seconds later he fell backward and lay motionless on the field.
Hamlin, surrounded by stunned players from both teams, was resuscitated on the field by medical staff and following more than fifteen minutes taken on a stretcher to an ambulance that transported him to hospital. A short time later, the game was permanently abandoned. It is unclear whether the player has regained consciousness.
The dismay was visible on the faces of the players of both teams. Some players knelt on the field to pray for their teammate.
“No one has ever experienced this before,” former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman said on ESPN’s broadcast. “I have never seen anything like it in my life.”
A year and a half ago, the football world was shocked by a similar incident. In the World Cup match between Denmark and Finland, Danish football player Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest. He, too, suddenly collapsed on the field. The former Ajax player is now back on the field. He plays under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. He also played for Denmark at the World Cup in Qatar.
Hamlin’s condition is still critical, an NFL board member has said. “Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. As soon as we have more information, we’ll let you know,” said Roger Goodell.
