CBS Sports

‘On Friday, the Bills provided a positive update on Hamlin, saying his breathing tube was removed, indicating he is breathing on his own. The team added that Hamlin “continues to progress remarkably in his recovery. His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team,” per the physicians at UCMC.’

‘There is no precedent for what the NFL is facing right now. Never before has an NFL game started, been postponed and never resumed, according to CBS Sports research. And not since 1935 has the league had a season where some teams play more games than others, when Philadelphia and Boston each played 11 games in a 12-game schedule, with their game being canceled due to bad weather.’

‘”We had significant concern about him after the injury, but he is making substantial progress,” Dr. Timothy Pritts, of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, told reporters via conference call. “As of (Thursday) morning, he is beginning to awaken, and it appears that his neurologic function is intact.”‘

‘”Mario, [Hamlin’s father], talking to us as a team, he kinda told us — demanded us — [to play for his son], and you can’t not honor his request to go out there and charge forward to the best of our abilities,” Allen said. “Today’s news was a lot of tears of joy, but … that’s what he wants, that’s what his dad wants, and guys are excited to get out there. … We wanna go out there and play for 3. It’ll be a huge driving force.”‘

‘Under the proposal that will be voted on by owners, the AFC Championship could potentially become a neutral-site game if any of the three following scenarios are met…’.

‘”While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact,” the Bills said in a statement on Thursday. “His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”‘

‘The frightening event sent shockwaves through, not only the sports world, but the world at large. This week, U.S. President Joe Biden even spoke with Hamlin’s mother and father, via Bloomberg News. On Wednesday, the Bills gave an update on their player, saying Hamlin has shown some signs of improvement, but that he remains in critical condition.’

‘”Obviously we’re going to have to make a decision on that in the coming days, which we will. But there’s a lot of considerations in place there and a lot of people that we want to consult with — including the clubs involved — before that decision is final.”‘

‘The Bills only have a walkthrough and meetings scheduled, opposed to a full practice, the team announced.’

‘Higgins, who was seen visibly distraught in the aftermath of Monday night’s events, was unfortunately not spared from criticism for his role in the play, which ranged from hateful online comments to being blamed for the situation outright by former NFL linebacker Bart Scott.’

‘Fanatics co-chair Michael Rubin tweeted that Fanatics, the NFL and the NFLPA are donating all proceeds of Hamlin’s jersey sales to the Chasing M Foundation, the charity Hamlin started in 2020.’

‘”It’s a really personal thing for me,” said Tomlin, who added that he has known Hamlin since he was roughly 12 years old. “Just got a lot of love and respect for him as a human being.’

‘What happened to Hamlin on Monday night was difficult to watch and it’s a reminder that NFL players are risking their health with every snap of the ball. We’ve seen some serious injuries over the years, but none of them were like the one suffered by Hamlin, who actually went into cardiac arrest on the field after taking a shoulder to the chest. It was an emotional situation that wasn’t easy for anyone to watch and it was one of the scariest moments in NFL history.’

‘”On behalf of our family, we want to express our sincere gratitude for the love and support shown to Damar during this challenging time,” the statement reads. “We are deeply moved by the prayers, kind words and donations from fans around the country.’

‘When I saw what had happened, the type of collapse he had, where his body went completely limp, is the type of collapse that has a very, very high likelihood of the heart stopping. That’s a really concerning thing. The real good-news story is how promptly the medical team on the sideline was at his side performing resuscitation. That is not always the case.’