Damar Hamlin Injured During Monday Night Football: How Is His Condition Now?

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a chest injury on the field during the Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was taken to the hospital where doctors had to use a breathing tube on him. The player's condition was described as "critical."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell clarified that the game would not resume, as assumed initially, and that it had been postponed. "Nobody is concerned about football right now one... they are concerned about one thing, the health, and safety of this young man," said ESPN analyst Booger McFarland, who had called for the game's abandonment while reports about the recommencement floated, Fox Sports reported.

"Hamlin received immediate medical attention on the field by team and independent medical staff and local paramedics. He was then transported to a local hospital where he is in critical condition," the league said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with Damar and the Buffalo Bills. We will provide more information as it becomes available." Journalist and radio personality David Shuster suggested that the NFL tried to keep the game going after Hamlin's injury.

"Based on a variety of reports, the @NFL did not make the decision to suspend the Bengals-Bills game. Rather, players/captains and coaches from both teams, who had witnessed Bills safety Damar Hamlin getting CPR for 8 minutes, said they would not continue the game. #NFL"

The NFL star was being treated at the Cincinnati hospital. He had collapsed after tackling Cincinnati Bengals' wide receiver Tee Higgins toward the end of the first quarter. He was able to stand back up but collapsed on the ground after taking a couple of steps.

First responders rushed to the field and administered CPR to the player for several minutes. Players from both teams had gathered around Hamlin, some on their knees, praying for his wellbeing, while some wept for him.

Hamlin's marketing representative shared the following update on Twitter. "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."

While the official diagnosis and cause of Hamlin's collapse weren't made available by the doctors treating him, medical professionals on the Internet weighed in on what could have happened to the athlete on the field.

"The video of Damar Hamlin from a cardiologist's perspective resembled commotio cordis - a phenomenon that occurs when a sudden blunt impact to the chest causes cardiac arrest. Timely defibrillation is life-saving & prevents anoxic brain injury. I pray an AED was near."

"Thinking about Demar Hamlin. Commotio cordis is caused by an abrupt blow to the chest at exactly the wrong time in the cardiac cycle. Must be resuscitated with an AED," opined a second.

"My prayers are with Damar Hamlin. As an arrhythmia specialist, I believe the blow to his chest during a certain period in the cardiac cycle triggered ventricular fibrillation, a condition called Commotio Cordis. It is not associated with pre-existing heart damage or COVID," another tweeted.