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Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has shown what doctors who treated him called “remarkable performance over the last 24 hours,” the team announced Thursday, three days after the player suffered a heart attack and had to be resuscitated on the field.
“While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he is not neurologically healthy,” the Bills said in a statement. “His lungs are continuing to heal and he’s moving forward.”
Hamlin’s agent, Ronald Butler, told The Associated Press that Hamlin had woken up and was able to hold a family member’s hand in his hospital bed.
Bills rookie cornerback Kaiir Elam also posted a message on his Twitter account saying Hamlin is “better, awake and showing signs of improvement.”
The development comes as the Bills are scheduled to return to practice on Thursday for the first time since Hamlin collapsed after going into cardiac arrest after making a tackle and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center during the first quarter of Buffalo’s game against the Bengals. Monday night.
The second-year player has spent the past two days sedated and is listed in critical condition.
WATCH l Sight of Hamlin collapse updates questions about game safety:
NFL player Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering a heart attack during Monday night’s game. The sight of him collapsing on the field, and being taken away in an ambulance, has shaken many and renewed questions about the safety of the game.
The Bills’ announcement came as they prepared to play a home game against the New England Patriots on Sunday, and the team was still reeling from the sight of their teammate collapsed on the field, his heart not beating.
After returning home on Tuesday after the game was postponed, the Bills held a meeting and practice walkthrough with no media availability on Wednesday. On Thursday, players were seen arriving at the facility, although the team has yet to release a practice schedule.
The heartbreaking scene of Hamlin’s collapse, which was broadcast to a North American TV audience on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” has sparked an outpouring of support from fans and players from around the league.
Many players — former teammates and people who didn’t know Hamlin until Monday — voiced their support, while saying they were shaken by the incident.
WATCH | Cardiologists explain what can cause Hamlin’s heart attack:
A sudden blow to Buffalo Bills defensive end Damar Hamlin’s chest in the NFL game on Saturday night against the Cincinnati Bengals appears to have sent Hamlin into cardiac arrest, explains cardiologist Dr. Christopher Labos.
Colts safety Rodney Thomas made the two-hour drive from Indianapolis to Cincinnati on Saturday just to be by his former high school teammate’s side.
“He’s a fighter. I know he’s a fighter and there’s no other thought in my mind other than him walking under his own power,” Thomas said Wednesday.
Hamlin marketing representative Jordon Rooney said Wednesday that the player’s family was overwhelmed by his kind words and actions.
“He’s excited now,” Rooney said. “Damar is still his first concern. But for him, he always sees how he can turn a rather disturbing situation into something good.
WATCH l Chris Pronger talks about his heart injury in 1998 while playing for St. Louis Blues:
Chris Pronger told of suffering a commotio cordis heart injury after being hit in the chest by a puck during the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs while playing for St. Louis. Louis Blues, when he was 23 years old.
It remains unclear whether the NFL will reschedule the Bills game against the Bengals, which has major implications in determining the top spot in the AFC. The playoffs are set to open on January 14.
The Chiefs (13-3) have a half-game lead over Buffalo (12-3), with the Bills having the tiebreaker after beating Kansas City this season. The Bengals (11-4) are now the third seed and have also beaten the Chiefs.
Hamlin was hurt in the first quarter when he was hit in the chest while making what appeared to be a routine run by Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin briefly got up and adjusted his face mask before collapsing backwards.
Hamlin was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Pitt. He spent his rookie season limited to a special teams role, and took over the starting safety duties in Week 3 in place of veteran Micah Hyde, who remained sidelined with a neck injury.
Fans, team owners and players – including Tom Brady and Russell Wilson – have donated to the Chasing M Hamlin Foundation, which has raised more than $7 million as of Thursday morning.
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