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.