The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals agreed among players and coaches to cancel the Monday Night Football game after the NFL delayed for over an hour in the decision after the collapse of Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after a routine hit on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the second quarter of the contest. Hamlin collapsed to the ground while attempting to stand to his feet.
Hamlin received CPR on the field and was rushed to a Cincinnati hospital.
The NFL denied ESPN’s report that the League gave teams a five-minute warning to resume play.
“Never crossed my mind to talk about warming up to resume play,” NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent, a former 15-year player, told reporters on a conference call. “That’s ridiculous, insensitive, and not a place we should ever be in.”
Hamlin is in critical condition and is currently on a breathing tube with normal vital signs.
“Update on Damar: His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests. We will provide updates as we have them,” Hamlin’s marketing agent, Jordon Rooney, said on Twitter.
No word yet from the NFL on how the League will handle the canceled game with the playoffs looming.