The NFL have confirmed that the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals won’t resume this week after it was postponed in light of Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on the field.
The Bills safety collapsed to the ground after making a tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of Monday night’s game before being treated by first responders.
CPR was administered and his heartbeat restored on the field before Hamlin was taken from the field in an ambulance to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition after spending the night in an intensive care unit.
On the live broadcast, the ESPN announcers suggested the NFL had given both teams five minutes to warm back up ahead of a possible resumption of play - a fact the league has since denied - but the game was subsequently postponed and it has now been confirmed that it won’t resume this week ahead of next Sunday’s regular-season finale.
A league statement read: “After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week.
“The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date. The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule.
“We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.”
This release came shortly after the Bills sent an update on Hamlin’s condition.
Their statement said: “Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
“We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far.”
The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter of a game between teams vying for the top playoff seed in the AFC. Cincinnati entered at 11-4, topping the AFC North by one game over Baltimore, while AFC East champions Buffalo are 12-3.
With just one week of the regular season to go, and the play-offs set to begin on January 14, it remains to be seen if the NFL will be able to fit in a replay of the contest.
