January 3, 2023 Damar Hamlin news

By Jessie Yeung, Aya Elamroussi, Rob Picheta, Seán Federico O'Murchú, Aditi Sangal, Adrienne Vogt and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 1855 GMT (0255 HKT) December 26, 2023
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2:40 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

Former NFL star Ephraim Salaam: Players' reaction to Hamlin's collapse was crucial in postponing the game

From CNN's Aya Elamroussi

Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown #79 reacts as teammate Damar Hamlin is examined.
Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown #79 reacts as teammate Damar Hamlin is examined. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images)

Former NFL player Ephraim Salaam said he believes the game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills was postponed Monday largely because players on both teams were emotionally distraught by Damar Hamlin's collapse.

“You could see that they were visibly bothered by what was going on on both teams. And I believe it was that reaction from the players that spurred others to realize that this game couldn’t possibly go on,” Salaam told CNN’s John Berman early Tuesday.
“The type of trauma and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) that comes with watching one of your brothers go down like this and fight for his life live on television. Those are the types of things that you just can't shake off in 20 minutes and get back to playing.”

Photos from the game show players on the field crying and taking a knee in prayer for Hamlin after his sudden collapse at the Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.

Salaam noted the game’s postponement speaks to the importance of players’ physical and mental health.

“It is not just about the physical injuries we witness. It is about the mental health. Dealing with the trauma after witnessing something like the Hamlin injury,” Salaam said.

Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety for the Bills, suffered a cardiac arrest moments after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. He remains in critical condition as of early Tuesday morning at a Cincinnati hospital.

1:54 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

BREAKING: Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest and is in critical condition, Buffalo Bills say

Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, and remains in critical condition, the Buffalo Bills said in a statement on Twitter in the early hours of Tuesday.

"Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals," the statement said. "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."
1:21 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

NFL did the right thing postponing game, sportscaster Bob Costas says

From CNN's Aya Elamroussi

Bob Costas, a CNN contributor and former NBC sportscaster, agreed with the NFL’s move to postpone Monday night’s game following Damar Hamlin’s sudden collapse on the field.

“It was the right thing to do, all things considered,” Costas said of the rescheduling. “This game has playoffs implications.”

The game could potentially be canceled altogether or be played later, which may cause a scheduling problem in regard to the other games, Costas explained.

Costas noted the scheduling issue is insignificant given Hamlin’s current critical condition.

Hamlin, 24, was playing as a safety for the Buffalo Bills on Monday night when he collapsed on his back during the first quarter seconds after an open field tackle of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. 

After the game was postponed, Costas explained that if the game is not replayed, some attendees’ tickets may be refunded.

Costas noted that the game’s suspension was for both humane reasons as well as optics.

1:15 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

Athletes and politicians send prayers to Damar Hamlin

Politicians and prominent American figures are joining the chorus of well wishers sending prayers to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after his collapse mid-game Monday night.

“Praying for Damar Hamlin," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown wrote on Twitter.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine also shared a message, saying: "We join everyone in Cincinnati and across this country in praying for this young athlete."

Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., tweeted: "My heart goes out to his family and teammates. The response of both teams reminds us that we are so connected as human beings. We matter to each other."

Many major athletes have also spoken out, with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell saying Monday night that "all of us in the locker room" were praying for Hamlin.

1:01 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

Damar Hamlin's Christmas toy fundraising drive has raised more than $2 million

From CNN’s Chris Boyette

As fans wait for news on Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who is in critical condition after collapsing on the field during Monday night’s game, a GoFundMe appeal he started to buy toys for children has raised more than $2 million as of early Tuesday morning.

The fundraiser has roughly 83,200 donations to date. 

GoFundMe tweeted a link to the fundraiser on Monday night, saying: “Following his injury on the field tonight, fans across the country are showing their support for him and his family by donating to his fundraiser.”

Hamlin created the fundraiser in 2020, saying at the time, “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.”

12:52 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

Former NFL player Coy Wire says Hamlin incident "a reminder of how precious life is"

From CNN's Aya Elamroussi

Former NFL player Coy Wire said he felt physically ill when he saw Damar Hamlin collapse on the field Monday night.

“Nausea was going to my guts. My heart is still racing. It hits home for me. I played six of my seasons in Buffalo as a safety, same position as Damar,” Wire told CNN’s Laura Coates on Monday night.

Wire, who played 10 seasons in the NFL and is currently a CNN sports anchor, recalled similar instances he witnessed throughout his career where players were injured.

"The thing I think we need to take away from this is: One, it's a reminder of how precious life is," he said.

"Two, it’s a reminder that there is progress being made. All the talks about players’ safety. All the lives that have been lost. All the lives that have been altered from players who have played this game. Perhaps they are not in vain."

Health impact: The NFL has faced intense scrutiny over the way it handles players’ health, especially for its concussion protocols. The sport’s potential danger to players’ physical health has led to a participation decline among children whose parents are concerned about head injuries and the long-term effects of the intense physical contact.

Wire added that NFL’s pause of the game Monday night shows there has been a change, which could lead to a “trickle-down effect.”

“Player safety, our personal health, is now more important than it used to be,” he said. “That’s going to be important to the college level. That’s going to be specifically important to the high school and the youth levels.”
12:55 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

NFL's Troy Vincent: "I've never seen anything like it"

At an open press call late Monday night, NFL leaders shared details on their decision-making process after Damar Hamlin's mid-game collapse.

"Once the player was down, game stopped" and a pre-planned emergency action plan went into effect, said Troy Vincent, the NFL's executive vice president of football operations.

"Obviously we saw the coaches, players, and those who tuned into the game all traumatized."

Vincent, a former NFL cornerback, added that he had no thoughts at the moment about the competition, saying: "Nothing else mattered but the care of Damar."

"I've never seen anything like it," he added.

Dawn Aponte, the NFL's chief football administrative officer, said the league was in "constant communication with both teams," and their decisions were guided by medical advice.

The Buffalo Bills, Hamlin's team, is returning to Buffalo Tuesday morning, though a handful of players would stay behind, the NFL said. They added that next steps regarding the game would come "at an appropriate time," but the priority was Hamlin's wellbeing.

Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications, said the league does not have an update on Hamlin’s condition beyond what was released earlier. The NFL's initial statement had said Hamlin was in critical condition at the hospital.

12:27 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

NFL says the league does not have an update on Damar Hamlin's condition

Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president of communications, said the league does not have an update on Damar Hamlin’s condition beyond what was released earlier Monday.

Miller was talking at the start of a teleconference call on Tuesday morning.

Earlier, the NFL said Hamlin was in critical condition.

12:17 a.m. ET, January 3, 2023

Damar Hamlin's collapse highlights longstanding debate on player safety in football

Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals players react to an injury sustained by safety Damar Hamlin (3) during the first quarter of an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.
Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals players react to an injury sustained by safety Damar Hamlin (3) during the first quarter of an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. (Kevin Sabitus/AP)

Damar Hamlin's collapse on the field Monday night has turned the spotlight to the long-debated issue of safety in football, which had been heightened following other recent incidents.

"I think it's possible to make the game safer, but it's tough to make it completely safe. It can be a violent, brutal game," said neurosurgeon and CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta following Hamlin's collapse.

Other incidents this season have notably involved Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who landed in the NFL’s concussion protocol twice within several months.

The 24-year-old was first diagnosed with a concussion in September after being sacked in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. It came just days after he suffered an apparent head injury and was later allowed to continue playing in a game against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25.

His second concussion came on Dec. 25 against the Green Bay Packers.

Over the years, participation in football has declined slightly as research has shown that chronic sports-related exposure to head impacts can cause microstructural damage and alter or impair some brain activity.

However, CNN Sports Correspondent and former NFL player Coy Wire said the Monday night incident — and postponement of the game — showed "there is progress being made."

"A year ago, five years ago, certainly not 10 years ago, they would not have stopped the game," he said. "We're not seeing that right now ... there's been a paradigm shift in terms of player health and safety and how precious our lives are. And that the game is not worth it in the end when it comes to serious issues like this."