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Damar Hamlin remains hospitalized, but showing signs of improvement, Bills say

Hamlin’s recovering is moving in “a positive direction,” his friend and marketing representative Jordon Rooney said Wednesday morning.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, seen here during a game against the Minnesota Vikings back in November. Hamlin remains hospitalized and in critical condition.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, seen here during a game against the Minnesota Vikings back in November. Hamlin remains hospitalized and in critical condition.Read moreIsaiah Vazquez / MCT
    by Rob Tornoe
    Updated 
    Published 

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, remains sedated and in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after suffering a cardiac arrest following a tackle during Monday night’s Bills-Bengals game.

Here’s what we know:

  1. What happened on the field: Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest Monday night and needed CPR to get his heart beating again. He was rushed to the hospital and placed in intensive care, where he remained Wednesday.

  2. Hamlin’s current condition: Hamlin remained in intensive care in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, but showed “signs of improvement,” the Bills said in a statement. Hamlin is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him, the Bills said.

  3. Caregivers “prevented a tragic outcome”: Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officers, said during a conference call with reporters Wednesday “the skilled and immediate response” by caregivers at Paycor Stadium to Hamlin’s injury “prevented a tragic outcome at that moment.”

  4. Hamlin was on a ventilator: Hamlin needed to be resuscitated a second time at the hospital, his uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told CNN Tuesday night. Hamlin was still on a ventilator and lying on his stomach to help take the pressure off the lungs, Glenn said.

  5. NFL doesn’t rule out postponing Bills-Patriots: The Bills remain scheduled to play the Patriots on Sunday at 1 p.m. Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, told reporters in a conference call Wednesday the league hadn’t ruled out postponing the game, noting the well-being of the Bills players and coaches would play a large role. The schedule for Week 18 games has not changed, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell appeared to leave open the possibility of updates in a letter sent to all 32 teams.

  6. No new date for Bills-Bengals: No decision has been made whether to resume the game at a later date, NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller told reporters Wednesday. Miller said a decision would be made in the coming days. If the NFL decides not to resume the game, it could impact who wins the AFC North and the top three AFC playoff seeds.

  7. ESPN stands by reporting: ESPN stood by its reporting during the Bills-Bengals broadcast that the NFL planned to resume the game after Hamlin was taken off the field. Joe Buck said on air players would have five minutes to warm up, and later told the New York Post the information came from ESPN rules analyst John Parry. Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, told reporters the league didn’t consider restarting the game following Hamlin’s injury.

  8. Hamlin’s toy drive raises millions: A dormant, two-year-old GoFundMe launched by Hamlin has soared past $6 million in donations. Due to the outpouring of support, the fundraiser established as a toy drive will now also benefit community initiatives led by Hamlin’s Chasing M’s foundation, in addition to “his current fight,” according to his family.