Monday Night Football faced an unprecedented situation this week as the Bills–Bengals matchup was postponed after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest.
ESPN analyst Booger McFarland told The Athletic that he was eating dinner when he and other network analysts were called back onto the set. He added, “As I’m walking toward the set my only thought was, ‘What exactly do they want us to say?’ That’s all Adam Schefter and I were thinking.”
Hamlin made what appeared to be a routine tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin then got up on his feet, but almost immediately, he collapsed. Medical personnel were able to restore his heartbeat, the Bills later said in a statement, and Hamlin was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
“I’ve hit people and been hit so many times on that field, and to see that play out where we are watching life and death play out on national television is an uncomfortable feeling,” McFarland told The Athletic. “When I saw the look on the trainers’ and doctors’ faces, I knew this was different. Then you hear they are doing CPR, which means he’s having difficulty breathing. All I could think about was life or death for this young man. That is something I never thought would happen on an NFL field.”
After a delay of more than an hour, the game officially was postponed. At the time of the publication of this story, the NFL had announced the game will not be rescheduled this week, but no decision has been made for when it might resume. Additionally, the Bills released a statement Tuesday afternoon with an update on Hamlin’s condition, saying he spent the evening in the ICU and that’s where he remains in critical condition.
