The NFL has seen one of its darkest days ever, as an early January game between Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills saw the sudden collapse of Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Seeming to collapse after a tackle, the handling of the incident has incensed many as they deem the NFL has failed the players.
The 24-year-old was administered CPR by paramedics for nine minutes, as players had to simply sit and wait in the locker rooms to find out if their fellow professional was alive. Concerningly, the game also was not abandoned straight away. Instead, the players were allegedly told they’d be back on the pitch within five minutes.
Thankfully, sanity prevailed as both teams agreed they could not take to the field again as a major error in the handling of sportspeople’s lives was seen. Critics haven’t just been fans, but also current and former players as they share their disgust with how the NFL seems to fail its players. Former Arizona Cardinals safety Tre Boston called out the NFL’s inaction, citing his belief it is only concerned with money.
Similarly, there had been various bad takes coming out after the collapse after radio host Skip Bayless asked how they could find the time to replay the game. Frankly, your first question being about the competition instead of the player welfare is not a tremendous look and Bayless got ratioed adequately.
The cross-section between athletes and entertainment is awfully clear here: they are pawns for massive corporations and sponsors to advertise and make money, even out of their potential suffering. The images of players heartbroken, stunned, and forming a protective barrier around Hamlin will prove to be powerful images of the gap between the NFL and its players’ welfare.
The NFL did release a statement after the incident, confirming they would be in discussions with the player’s union to get an agreement on postponing the game. Hamlin reportedly had a pulse but was not breathing on his own, with him currently at a local hospital in critical condition.
Hamlin has been a professional player for just over two years, spending his entire career to date at the Bills.