Ahead of what figures to be an emotional weekend for teams and players, the NFL is planning a league-wide tribute for Damar Hamlin, showing their support in wake of his medical emergency Monday night, needing CPR on the field after going into cardiac arrest. Among other tributes, teams will outline No. 3 on each 30-yard-line while distributing warmup shirts with a message reading, “Love for Damar 3.” The Bills are honoring Hamlin by wearing special jersey patches along with embroidered hats displaying his uniform number.
Teams will also hold a pregame “moment of support” to be read by public address announcers at each stadium, calling out first responders and medical caregivers for their hard work and dedication in Hamlin’s continued recovery efforts. Fans have quickly rallied around the second-year safety, donating upwards of $8 million to his charitable foundation, Chasing M’s, since his accident Monday night. While the 24-year-old still has a long road ahead of him, Hamlin has shown remarkable progress in recent days, addressing his teammates on FaceTime after having his breathing tube removed Friday morning.
That comes as encouraging news after many had feared the worst, concerned that Hamlin, during his on-field episode, had lost significant oxygen to his brain. However, doctors have confirmed him to be “neurologically intact” while upgrading him to stable condition.
The NFL is still resolving how to proceed with playoff seeding after announcing that Monday’s abandoned game between Cincinnati and Buffalo will not be resumed, officially going in the record books as a “no contest.” One proposed outcome calls for a neutral site conference championship game (assuming it’s between Buffalo and Kansas City) with a coin flip potentially determining homefield advantage should Baltimore and Cincinnati meet in next week's Wild Card Round.
A sixth-round pick out of Pitt, Hamlin had been filling in for injured starter Micah Hyde, who was lost to a season-ending neck injury in Week 2. Before his injury, Hamlin had 91 tackles, second on the team behind only linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (95).
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