Thoughts for Damar Hamlin

In week 17 we witnessed the scariest thing that can happen on a football field. After tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Buffalo Bills’ safety, Damar Hamlin, suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field. The shocking moment was a terrifying reminder of the real-life consequences that can exist within sport. It brought silence to the stadium and stopped the whole football industry in its tracks, uniting everyone in putting the recovery of Hamlin front and centre. The minutes that followed were distressing, as the broadcast showed images of players having to deal with the realisation that their friend was fighting for his life in front of their eyes. Throughout the week, reports of good news have gradually started to appear but it is still a very serious situation and we all have our fingers crossed for Damar Hamlin.

The situation is, of course, one of major concern and distress, but it has also produced examples of human kindness that shine rays of positivity on an incredibly difficult situation. The NFL community have come together to donate to Hamlin’s toy drive. An initiative that he launched in 2020, for which the initial goal was $2,500, now has over 6.5 milion dollars. This is not the first time that this has happened, although, in very different circumstances. In 2018, Bills fans donated to Andy Dalton’s foundation, which provides support and resources to families with ill and physically challenged children. This was in response to Dalton throwing a last minute touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens that secured a playoff berth for the Bills.

The other question that should be asked on this event is why the players were asked to warm up for 5 minutes in preparation to continue the game. Whilst it cannot be an easy decision to call off a game, you only had to look at the player’s faces to understand that this was not an option. In fact, you shouldn’t even had to have done that. Witnessing something so traumatic should not be followed by 3 hours of intense sport for entertainment purposes. Player welfare has been a hot topic during this season of the NFL, and it took the coaches to intervene and make sure that their players weren’t put in a situation that was inappropriate and potentially dangerous for them.

It is yet another bad look for the NFL who seem to come up short whenever asked to put player safety first. Earlier in the season, we discussed on the podcast why the NFL, a multi-billion dollar business, still utilises turf pitches, which are proven to be more dangerous for players. With concussion protocol also being queried at stages throughout the 2022 season, it is clear there is still work to be done for the NFL, which is frankly not good enough when you consider how hard players have to work for better guaranteed contracts.

Garrett Bush (Ultimate Cleveland Sport) pointed out that it is only after 3 years that a player becomes vested, which means they can benefit from injury based financial support. Hamlin, being in his second season, does not qualify for this, meaning that he may well have received his last ever payment from the NFL. In this situation, Troy Vincent, NFL EVP, has confirmed that the NFL will make sure that Hamlin has whatever he needs for the rest of his life, but this situation has certainly shone a light on the risks that NFL players take when they step on the field, in more ways than one.

As I said before, football has rightfully taken a back seat this week, as everyone anxiously waits for the good news that is hopefully right around the corner. Our thoughts are with Damar, his family and teammates as they continue to navigate one of the hardest weeks of their lives.