The entire NFL witnessed one of their brothers in Damar Hamlin suffer a scary injury in Monday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals that has forced him to remain in a hospital. He suffered cardiac arrest on the field and is still in critical condition two days later.
Following the unfortunate incident on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams held a team meeting on Wednesday and Sean McVay expressed support for those players who aren’t prepared to play in Week 18.
A few of his players know Damar Hamlin personally, and McVay says if they don't feel ready to play this weekend he fully supports them.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 4, 2023
When the Hamlin situation occurred, everyone was in shock and immediately expressed their hopes for him to recover as soon as possible. The sports world came to a screeching halt as all that mattered was the well-being of Hamlin.
It was a tough moment to watch and McVay realizes players are humans before they are football players and their emotions toward what unfolded on Monday may prevent them from being ready to take the field. Some of the players know Hamlin personally, and whether they do or not, going out and playing a game on Sunday could be an afterthought — and understandably so — for some.
The Rams will travel to take on the Seattle Seahawks to conclude the regular season in Week 18 despite having no chance of making the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Seahawks could clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss or tie by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Even though the Rams want to finish the season strong, McVay realizes that some things are just bigger than football.