Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - It has been an extremely challenging week for the Buffalo Bills given what transpired this past Monday night in Cincinnati with safety Damar Hamlin suffering a cardiac arrest of the field of play against the Bengals.
The good news for the Bills safety is in the days that followed his medical emergency at Paycor Stadium, he continues to make remarkable progress in his recovery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. While he remains in critical condition, Hamlin continues to breathe on his own, and doctors describe his neurological function as “excellent”.
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As a result of Hamlin's cardiac arrest, the game in Cincinnati was eventually suspended with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter. Just days later, the NFL eventually decided the game will not be made up, calling the end result a "no contest".
While the focus of the NFL was on the health of Hamlin, first-and-foremost, league commissioner Roger Goodell called the entire situation in Cincinnati on Monday "difficult and challenging".
"You never want to see a circumstance like that with your player or anybody else. But the most important thing was to allow our medical personnel, who are trained and practice, they have protocols for this exact scenario. I knew they were going to do the right things medically," said Goodell during an appearance on the Bills Pregame Show on WGR Sports Radio 550. "What we needed to do is focus on communication and making sure the coach and players, and everyone that we had all the right data, we had all the right information to make the best decisions. The first decision you had to make was whether we suspend play, of course, and postponing the game. And then later in the week, canceling the game."
In the days since Hamlin needed CPR and an AED on the field to restore his heartbeat, the outpouring of support for the 24-year-old was overwhelming. Not only did it come for Hamlin with fans, players and teams and others around the sports world donating nearly $8.5 million to his charity, but also for the first responders and others who helped Hamlin on the field and in the hospital.
Goodell couldn't help but feel proud and a sense of pride with not only the support for Hamlin, but how everything panned out leading up to Sunday's game.
"I'm obviously incredibly proud of the medical team, but it really starts with Damar and his family. That was where our thoughts were all the time, making sure that his needs were always taken care of. And obviously, that's ended up in a really positive way," Goodell said with Sal Capaccio, Chris Brown and Eric Wood. "No one would have ever thought this quickly that he was going to recover to this level. That's obviously uplifting for everybody, but the entire league, our fanbase, frankly, people who aren't even fans of the game see this, and I think it just united everyone. I think that's a great thing. Out of bad things, inspiration comes, and I think Damar was that, really. And particularly as he progressed through the week, everyone was just more-and-more lifted. And I just think that's a great tribute to everybody who was involved."
The players had a huge influence on the decision by the NFL to suspend the game on Monday night and not resume the contest. Goodell says he wanted to hear from the players before finalizing any decision to postpone the game, and he got the sense that everyone wanted to put the health of Hamlin ahead of everything else.
Goodell also wanted to commend the leadership of both teams for their entire role in the situation on Monday and beyond. That included the leadership of owner Terry Pegula, general manager Brandon Beane and head coaches Sean McDermott and Zac Taylor.
"Coach [McDermott] was right there leading the way, he understood where his players were. Zac Taylor was also incredibly professional, and he knew exactly where his players were. And I think the ability for us to have that kind of communication led us to a better opportunity to make the right decisions for the players, for the coaches, and I think for the league in general," Goodell said.
The Hamlin medical emergency this past Monday was, unfortunately, the latest challenge the Bills and the Western New York community has faced through the entirety of this season. From the Tops mass shooting back in May, to a pair of devastating winter storms to grind the region to a halt, and now the situation with Hamlin nearly losing his life in a freak accident.
Goodell knows a thing or two of how the Western New York community works, having been a native of Jamestown. Despite all that Western New York has endured through the last several months, Goodell knows how extraordinary the region is, and says he's proud to be part of such a resilient community.
"People here are tough, there are people who want to do the right thing all the time. And they don't feel sorry for themselves, they get out and get after it. I really admire that so much," Goodell said. "The Bills mean a lot to this community. It was a lot of the discussions about the stadium here too. This community and this team, they reflect one another, they're a part of one another. I think the players feel that, and they know who they're representing, and I know the community feels that. So, to me, that connection is what makes a really successful franchise, ultimately, in a really successful community. Buffalo, you've done us proud."
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