The Buffalo Bills announced Thursday that safety Damar Hamlin has shown “remarkable improvement and appears to be “neurologically intact” after he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest Monday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
In a chilling scene, Hamlin was administered CPR on the field Monday, ESPN reported, while surrounded by teammates, some of them in tears, while they shielded him from public view. He was hurt while tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on a seemingly routine play that didn’t appear unusually violent.
Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, a hardscrabble exurb of Pittsburgh, and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Pitt. He spent his rookie season limited to special teams roles, and took over the starting job in Week 3 in place of veteran Micah Hyde, who remains sidelined by a neck injury.
Fans, players and NFL owners have been making donations to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation. The foundation’s modest goal of raising $2,500 for a toy drive exceeded $6.3 million by noon on Wednesday. Patriots owner Robert Kraft donated $18,003, while Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, together with his wife, Ciara, made $10,000 contributions.
With files from The Associated Press
