By Frank Pingue
The Buffalo Bills said on Wednesday that safety Damar Hamlin has shown “signs of improvement” since suffering a cardiac arrest during an NFL game in Cincinnati on Tuesday (AEDT), but that he is still in critical condition.
“Damar remains in the ICU (intensive care unit) in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight,” the Bills said in a social media post.
“He is expected to remain under intensive care as his healthcare team continues to monitor and treat him.”
During the first quarter of the Bills’ penultimate regular-season game against the host Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin got to his feet after making a tackle and then collapsed.
After having his heartbeat restored on the field as stunned players from both teams cried, prayed and hugged, an ambulance took Hamlin to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The Bills offered no further details, but Hamlin’s friend and business partner Jordon Rooney said in an ESPN report earlier on Wednesday that doctors saw promising readings overnight that they had hoped to see by Wednesday morning.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains in a critical condition.Credit:AP
Rooney did not immediately reply when asked to provide details on Hamlin’s condition.
“They’re trying to get his lungs back to full strength,” Dorrian Glenn, Hamlin’s uncle, said outside the hospital. “He was 100 per cent assisted by ventilators (Tuesday). He’s improved, up to 50 per cent. That’s an upward trend and we’re thankful for that.”
Glenn cautioned that Hamlin is not yet breathing on his own and has lung damage. He said doctors shifted Hamlin to his stomach to alleviate more pressure from his lungs.
“We’ll just keep going day by day until he gets better,” he said.
Downtown Cincinnati lit up in Buffalo Bills colours in support of Hamlin.Credit:Cincinnati Enquirer
Earlier, the Bills said they would hold meetings and a walk-through — a slower-paced practice in which players typically do not wear pads and go through plays without physical contact — on Wednesday and that there would be no media availability.
The Bills’ game against fellow Super Bowl contenders Cincinnati was postponed on Monday after Hamlin collapsed on the field.
The National Football League, whose regular season concludes on Sunday (Monday AEDT), has said the Buffalo-Cincinnati game would not resume this week.
During a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, NFL executive vice president of communications Jeff Miller said the conversation about what to do about the game has started and a decision will be made in the coming days.
The game, if played, would have play-off implications for both teams as they are battling with the Kansas City Chiefs for the top seed in the American Football Conference, which comes with a first-round play-off bye.
The Bills are scheduled to host the New England Patriots at 5am Monday (AEDT).
