NFL players are expressing their reluctance to play on Sunday, while the NFL considers postponing all games in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest.
Hamlin, 24, suffered a cardiac arrest after a routine tackle during the 1st quarter of Monday’s game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Prayers for #DamarHamlin pic.twitter.com/XBRrRS9J05
— Antonio Montoya Reeve (@Antontio4NM) January 3, 2023
Doctors performed CPR on Hamlin for 9 minutes before restoring his heartbeat and transporting him to a nearby hospital.
The NFL confirmed on Tuesday there was no plan to resume the Bills-Bengals game this week. The Bills are scheduled to play the New England Patriots at home on Sunday, Jan. 8.
The NFL regular season ends this weekend, but there are calls from NFL coaches and players to postpone this weekend’s games since players are still too shaken up to play.
The players are concerned that a routine hit like the one Hamlin took could possibly stop a man’s heart.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ryan Leaf called for the league to postpone all games. In a tweet, Leaf said suspending games would be the only way to prove the league cares about player safety.
“If the (NFL) truly cared about the health, safety, and wellness of their players, there would be no reason not to postpone this weekend’s games,” he tweeted. “Let’s see if you’re a part of the #NFLBrotherhood or just another cog in the corporate $$ printing machine!”
The NFL is reportedly concerned about the optics if another player collapses on the field this weekend.
Doctors claim the hit on Hamlin triggered an extremely rare condition called Commotio cordis which causes an arrhythmia that stops the heart after a forceful blow to the center of the chest. Commortio cordis is more commonly seen in children and teenagers whose ribs and breastbones are still forming.
RELATED: Bills’ Damar Hamlin Suffered Second Cardiac Arrest at Hospital
Hamlin’s uncle said he went into cardiac arrest a second time after arriving at the hospital. Cardiologists agree that it’s unlikely Commotio cordis caused his second cardiac arrest.
The family then said Hamlin’s uncle “misspoke” about Hamlin’s second cardiac arrest.
Uncle of #Bills Safety Damar Hamlin gives an update on his nephew’s condition. pic.twitter.com/vjz92eMsmH
— TJAY Jones (@tjayjones8) January 4, 2023
Hamlin remains in a medically induced coma on a ventilator. Hamlin’s uncle said he was weaned from 100% oxygen down to 50%, which he called an improvement. But all ventilator patients are quickly weaned from 100% oxygen since high oxygen levels in the blood can cause oxygen toxicity which scars the lungs and damages other internal organs.
