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When Damar Hamlin awoke on Wednesday night, January 4 after two days of sedation following cardiac arrest, his first thoughts were with the Buffalo Bills.
Doctors revealed on Thursday, January 5 that Hamlin’s first question, which he communicated in writing, after waking up in the intensive care unit of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center was about the outcome of the Monday Night Football game against the Bengals that had been suspended following his on-field collapse.
“Did we win?” Hamlin wrote, Dr. Timothy Pritts shared during a press conference from the UC Medical Center.
Damar Hamlin Has Made ‘Remarkable’ Progress, Per Doctors
The Bills were in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals when Hamlin collapsed to the turf after tackling wide receiver Tee Higgins, and the league decided to suspend the game. Hamlin was taken to the hospital where he was placed under sedation and listed in critical condition.
The team announced at 10:28 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday that he showed “remarkable” signs of progress, while teammate Kaiir Elam confirmed in a tweet that Hamlin was awake.
“Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” the team wrote in a statement shared on Twitter. “While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”
As USA Today reported later in the day on Thursday, doctors said Hamlin was able to follow commands and communicate in writing.
When asked if his team won, Pritts said he put the situation into perspective for Hamlin.
“The answer is yes, Damar, you won the game of life,” Pritts said doctors told Hamlin.
Since the incident on Monday, Hamlin has received support from around the globe. President Joe Biden said he spoke to Hamlin’s parents on Wednesday, and over 200,000 GoFundMe donors have raised more than $7.5 million for a community to drive organized by Hamlin. Family and friends have announced that the money will be used toward his larger charitable efforts working with children.
NFL Reaches Decision on Conclusion of Bills-Bengals Game: Report
There was no answer to Hamlin’s question at the time, as the NFL had not yet announced whether the Bills and Bengals would complete the game that was suspended with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter and the Bengals leading 7-3.
But Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press reported on Thursday, January 5 that the league has decided not to complete the game, but still needed to determine further details and get approval.
“Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the league is still figuring out how to determine playoff seedings and scheduling. The NFL Players Association must approve changes,” Maaddi wrote.
The game would have had major seeding implications for the playoffs, with the Bills needing a win to maintain the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. The Kansas City Chiefs moved to 13-3 with a win over the Denver Broncos in Week 17, moving ahead of the 12-3 Bills based on win percentage.
The Bills returned to practice on Thursday after holding a walkthrough and team meetings on Wednesday. They are set to face the New England Patriots in Buffalo in Week 18 for the regular season finale.
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