The entire sports world underwent an undoubtedly scary and intense situation after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during the NFL’s Monday Night Football game last night. The situation unfolded after a tackle between Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Hamlin, which resulted in both men colliding, with Hamlin feeling the force of the hit in his chest. After the hit, both men returned to their feet and all appeared normal, until Hamlin suddenly collapsed seconds later and fell down to the grass below.
The entire situation has certainly been horrifying, with fellow NFL teammates, analysts, and people around the world uniting in prayer and keeping Hamlin and his family in their thoughts. After the unfortunate incident, the game between the Bengals and Bills was temporarily suspended, until the NFL officially announced later in the night that the game had been canceled and postponed. Following the game’s suspension, an outpouring of support was showcased when Hamlin’s fundraiser received over $1 million in donations.
In the aftermath of the accident, there have been lots of speculation and questions online about the severity of Hamlin’s injury, and what exactly happened to cause him to collapse following the hit.
What happened to Damar Hamlin?
Earlier this morning, the official Bills Twitter account shared a major update on Hamlin, which officially stated that he suffered cardiac arrest after the hit. Hamlin was eventually given CPR by immediate medical responders, where he was then transferred to the UC Medical Center for further evaluation and treatment for his injuries.
Following the hit and throughout the night, various medical doctors took to both Twitter and TikTok to try and describe what happened to Hamlin in their own opinions. And while some medical advice certainly seemed reasonable and logical, there was plenty of backlash in regards to attempting to diagnose before all the facts had been properly laid out.
One doctor in particular, Dr. Brian Sutterer MD, took to Twitter to offer up his opinion on what happened to Hamlin. According to Dr. Sutterer, who is registered as a sports medicine doctor, he believes that Hamlin suffered a phenomenon known as “commotio cordis.” In the breakdown, which can be viewed above, Dr. Sutterer revealed that the phenomenon typically occurs as a result of a disruption in the heart’s rhythm, which can only happen at a critical time during the heart’s cycle.
However, since the Bills did not specifically mention commotio cordis or the cause of Hamlin’s cardiac arrest in the aforementioned tweet, all opinions and comments on the matter are nothing short of speculation.
What is the latest update on Hamlin?
This afternoon, the Bills updated Hamlin’s status on Twitter, explaining that the 24-year-old athlete was in the ICU last night and still remains there today. At the time of this writing, Hamlin remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, although plenty of support and love for Hamlin has continued all around the world.
We’ll be sure to update you with further news in regards to this situation as it becomes available.