Written by WCPO’s Taylor Weiter
CINCINNATI — Tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals has been suspended after a Bills player was taken off the field in an ambulance.
Safety Damar Hamlin attempted to tackle Tee Higgins in the middle of the field during the first quarter of the game. Hamlin stood up after the hit, but then immediately fell to the ground
Buffalo’s medical staff immediately began providing aid as an ambulance drove onto the field. Broadcasters reported that medics were doing CPR, while a WCPO reporter at the scene said a defibrillator was also seen being used.
Players from both teams huddled around the medical staff, some kneeling and some holding hands. The Bills posted on social, “Bills Mafia is with you, @HamlinIsland,” while the Bengals tweeted, “Sending our thoughts and prayers to Damar🙏”
Hamlin was down on the field for at least 10 minutes. He was eventually placed inside the ambulance and taken out of Paycor Stadium. Broadcasters said he was hooked up to oxygen.
Reporters at the scene said Hamlin’s family was at the game and his mother was in the ambulance with Hamlin as he was taken to UC Medical Center.
Hamlin, 24, is a Pittsburgh native who graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. He was drafted by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.
Teams are usually given five minutes to reset and restart the game. However, coaches Zac Taylor and Sean McDermott met and brought both of their teams back to their locker rooms. Officials announced the game will be “temporarily suspended” until further notice.
Sports anchor Marshall Kramsky said Joe Burrow and his fellow Bengals players left their locker room and walked into the Bills locker room.
LINK nky will update this story with more information when it is available.