Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals game will not be resumed; neutral AFC Championship Game site considered. The latest

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during Monday night’s game, causing the NFL to suspend a pivotal game against the Cincinnati Bengals that quickly lost significance in the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in front of a national television audience. Here's the latest:

Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati game will not be resumed; clubs to consider neutral site AFC Championship Game

The NFL said Thursday it will not resume the Bills-Bengals game that was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest on the field.

The league said some of the factors in coming to its decision included that “not playing the Buffalo-Cincinnati game to its conclusion will have no effect on which clubs qualify for the postseason. No club would qualify for the postseason and no club will be eliminated based on the outcome of this game.”

Also, the NFL said playing the game between the Bills and Bengals would have required postponing the start of the playoffs by a week, and affecting all 14 teams that qualified for the postseason.

The NFL said its decision creates “potential competitive inequities in certain playoff scenarios.” The league said clubs on Friday, in a special league meeting, would consider a resolution recommended by the commissioner and approved today by the Competition Committee.

Hamlin has shown what physicians treating him are calling “remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” the team announced Thursday, three days after the 24-year-old player had to be resuscitated on the field.

The Bills-Bengals game had major playoff implications for the AFC. Determining next steps is an exhaustive process and the league is considering various scenarios.

(Associated Press)

Doctors provide updates on Damar Hamlin. Watch now

The medical team treating Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin said Thursday afternoon the player was awake and alert and making "substantial progress."

"Damar has made substantial improvement over the last 24 hours," said Dr. Timothy Pritts, chief of general surgery and Vice Chair for Clinical Operations at UC Health. "He's been making substantial progress. As of this morning, he is beginning to awaken and his neurological function appears to be intact."

Physicians credited the quick response of the Bills' on-field medical team with recognizing the seriousness of Hamlin's condition and taking quick action. Pritts said the immediate response on the field likely saved Hamlin's life.

"He initially had a pulse, lost his pulse, and then received immediate bystander CPR. That was followed quickly by defibrillation within several minutes," said Dr. William Knight IV, Director of Emergency Medicine. "These two things led to a return of spontaneous circulation very quickly, and that's what has led us to be able to discuss this good outcome today."

Physicians said Hamlin's parents and members of the Bills team had been a constant presence at Hamlin's bedside.

Hamlin has been intubated and sedated since his arrival at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and is unable to speak because of his breathing tube. But doctors said Thursday that he was able to follow commands and communicate with the medical team and his family using pen and paper.

His first question for medical staff upon awakening was "who won the game?" Knight said.

Hamlin is continuing to undergo tests that might help better explain whether there was any underlying medical condition that contributed to his cardiac arrest on the field during Monday Night's game with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Doctors said it was too early to predict whether Hamlin would make a full recovery or how long that process might take. Their focus remains on helping his breathing improve so that he can be removed from the respirator, and that would be a major step towards Hamlin being able to leave the hospital and return home.

Damar Hamlin has shown 'remarkable improvement,' Buffalo Bills say

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has shown what physicians treating him are calling “remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours."

The Bills announced that update three days after Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field. The team said that while Hamlin is still critically ill, the 24-year-year old has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact.

The Bills said Hamlin's lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.

The developments come as the Bills were scheduled to return to practice on Thursday for the first time since Hamlin collapsed after his heart stopped while making a tackle during the first quarter of Buffalo’s game against the Bengals on Monday night.

Will Bills-Bengals game be rescheduled? Options being considered by NFL

The NFL is still considering various options following the suspension of the Bills-Bengals game, including possibly eliminating the bye week before the Super Bowl. The Bills-Patriots game set for Sunday and the rest of the Week 18 games remain on schedule. The pivotal Bills-Bengals game was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while making a tackle in the first quarter. MORE ABOUT OPTIONS BEING CONSIDERED.

Donations for Damar Hamlin's charity now over $7 million

Since Sunday night, when Buffalo Bills safety was critically injured and needed his heart restarted on during a nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals, thousands of people found and donated to his GoFundMe page, which was initially created in 2020 to support a holiday toy drive through his Chasing M's Foundation charity.

As of Thursday morning, more than $7 million was donated by more than 200,000 people.

"We're simply awestruck by the level of support and generosity we've seen over the past two days," an update on the page read. "With over $6 million raised, this fundraiser has become an overnight reminder of the incredible nature of humankind. Your actions directly reflect the type of human Damar is himself."

Donations will be directed to Hamlin's charity - which supports toy and back to school drives for children and kids' camps. As use of funds is determined, donors will be notified.

"We're hopeful about Damar's future involvement in disbursing the incredibly generous contributions."

NFL teams light stadiums in Buffalo Bills colors to support Damar Hamlin

Footbal - and othe sports teams around the country - are lighting their stadiums in Bills colors to show support for Damar Hamlin.

Damar Hamlin's recovery moving in 'positive direction'

Damar Hamlin's family is cautiously optimistic as he begins his second full day in intensive care at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Hamlin's marketing rep Jordon Rooney told ESPN that although Hamlin was still sedated and in critical condition Wednesday morning, doctors got promising readings overnight and progress appears to be made.

“We all remain optimistic,” Rooney told The Associated Press, noting that Hamlin's recovery was progressing in "a positive direction." The family has requested that no further details on Hamlin's condition were to be released to the public.

Football Hall of Fame delays finalist announcement out of respect for Damar Hamlin

The Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Network postponed the announcement of the Modern-Era Player finalists for the Hall's Class of 2023 out of respect to Damar Hamlin. The event, which was initially scheduled to take place Tuesday evening, was tentatively rescheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday on the NFL Network. The organizations on Wednesday will determine whether the announcement should be further delayed.

Currently, there are 28 modern-era players semi-finalists, including former Bills linebacker London Fletcher. That list will be trimmed to 15 finalists and ultimately down to 5 players, all of whom will be considered and voted on individually.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame, located in Canton, Ohio, on Tuesday night illuminated the building in red, white and blue in support of Hamlin and the Bills.

Fans give millions to Damar Hamlin's charity for kids

Damar Hamlin’s goal was simple: He wanted to raise $2,500 online to buy toys for needy kids.

It took about two years.

Then came Monday, when the Buffalo Bills safety was critically injured and needed his heart restarted on the field in a chilling scene that unfolded during a nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He instantly became one of the biggest stories in sports, and thousands of people found his GoFundMe page.

The result: More than $6 million donated after his injury. And the number is climbing.

Damar Hamlin medical condition update

Damar Hamlin's uncle Dorrian Glenn shared a health update on Tuesday evening, marking the first time a family member has spoken about Hamlin's condition to the media. Glenn said Hamlin is currently sedated on a ventilator to "try to get his lungs back to full strength." Glenn told reporters there's concern of lung damage, but he's hopeful his nephew's condition will improve. 

"They sedated him just to give a better chance for him to just continue to heal better," Glenn told CNN. "We are just taking it day by day. It seems like he’s trending upwards in a positive way."

Glenn added that both of Hamlin's parents are by his side.

Damar Hamlin's uncle says his nephew was resuscitated twice after collapse 

Dorrian Glenn, the uncle of Damar Hamlin, is shedding light on the critical moments after Hamlin collapsed following what appeared to be a routine tackle.

While speaking to reporters outside of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Glenn told ESPN and CNN that emergency personnel resuscitated Hamlin twice — once on the field at Paycor Stadium and again at the hospital.

Glenn was watching the "Monday Night Football" matchup from their hometown of Pittsburgh when Hamlin went down. He said the family drove down to Cincinnati immediately.

"I'm not a crier, but like I never cried so hard in my life," Glenn recalled to CNN. "Just to know like my nephew basically died on the field and they brought him back to life, that’s just heartbreaking. To see all of those grown men crying and all the emotion, it was just a gut punch."

Evan McPherson speaks at prayer service for Damar Hamlin

Community members in Cincinnati came together Tuesday in a prayer service for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

The service, hosted by a Cincinnati church, was open to the public. Bengals kicker Evan McPherson spoke in a recorded message at the beginning of it, encouraging fans to pray for Hamlin, who collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest during the first quarter of the Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Monday night.

"I just want to take a second and realize that Damar is more than a football player," McPherson said. "He's a son, a teammate, a friend and last but not least, he's a brother in Christ. He really needs our prayers right now."

Read more.

Buffalo Bills update Twitter profile with pic of Damar Hamlin jersey

Bengals owner Mike Brown releases statement following Damar Hamlin’s collapse

Cincinnati Bengals owner and president Mike Brown released a statement on Tuesday following the tragedy that took place at Paycor Stadium on Monday night.

Damar Hamlin career in photos

Bills-Bengals game will not resume this week, NFL says

The NFL announced in a news release Tuesday afternoon that the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals game "will not be resumed this week."

"The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date," the statement read. The league also announced that it has not altered the week 18 regular season schedule.

It is not clear whether the game will be completed at a later date or how Monday's unfinished game will impact the two teams.

Jill Kelly organizes moment of prayer for Damar Hamlin

Jill Kelly, author and wife of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, has requested for people to pause at 3 p.m. Tuesday to pray for Bills safety Damar Hamlin, his family, friends, teammates and all of the medical professionals caring for him at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Damar Hamlin family releases statement

Fundraiser for Damar Hamlin's foundation tops $4.1M

In the hours since Hamlin was seriously injured Monday night, fans and supporters have donated more than $4.1 million to Hamlin's Chasing M's Foundation, a charity he set up in 2020 as a way to give back to his hometown while he was still a student at the University of Pittsburgh.

Hamlin created the GoFundMe page in December 2020 to purchase toys for children ahead of the holidays, writing "as I embark on my journey to the NFL, I will never forget where I come from and I am committed to using my platform to positively impact the community that raised me."

The foundation has conducted toy and back to school drives for children, and supports kids' camps.

As of 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, more than $4.1 million was donated to the foundation through fundraiser as fans sought to show their support for Hamlin and his family.

An update on the fundraiser said, "We can’t thank all of you enough. Your generosity and compassion mean the world to us."

Family spokesman Jordon Rooney said that all donations will support the foundation.

Damar Hamlin update given by family spokesman on GMA

Jordon Rooney, a friend of Damar Hamlin who is also serving as a family spokesman, said Tuesday morning on Good Morning America that his friend remains at the hospital.

"He's fighting," he said. "He's a fighter."

Rooney declined to speak about Hamlin's medical condition, but said that his friend was awake earlier and was sedated Tuesday morning. The family, he said, "is in good spirits," and are "taking it minute by minute, hour by hour." Obviously the family, like the rest of the nation, is worried about Hamlin. He described the close family as "strong" and "supportive" and "obviously worried."

"What's most important is to give the family their privacy," Rooney said, noting the outpouring of support at the hospital and online. "It's tough when you see someone on TV or you watch someone play a sport....You don't view them as a human a lot of times."

"His family is going through a lot right now," Rooney said. "It's important for everyone to remember that (Hamlin) is a person and his family is trying to work through everything."

What happened to Damar Hamlin?

Hamlin was injured while tackling Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter. Higgins lunged into Hamlin's chest and the safety wrapped his arms around Higgins' neck as the pair spun to the ground.

Hamlin got to his feet for several seconds, took two steps and collapsed, landing on his back and head. An official standing near Hamlin immediately stopped play and signaled an injury timeout.

An ambulance was rushed to the field and first responders delivered CPR to Hamlin. He was given oxygen and an automated external defibrillator (AED) was used to deliver an electric shock in an attempt to restore his heart rhythm to normal. Hamlin was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the region's only adult level 1 trauma center.

Hamlin's teammates left the sidelines and surrounded emergency responders as they worked on Hamlin on the field. Once the severity of Hamlin's injury was apparent, several players cried on the field. Other players prayed and hugged each other. The team kneeled in a circle and prayed after Hamlin left in an ambulance.

What took the NFL so long to postpone Bills vs. Bengals game after Damar Hamlin collapsed?

It took the NFL about one hour after Hamlin collapsed to officially suspend the game because league executives were gathering information and communicating with referee Shawn Smith, coaches from both teams and the NFL Players Association.

Troy Vincent, the league's executive vice president of football operations, said that the NFL's Emergency Action Plan was activated. Vincent communicated with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith. Dawn Aponte, the league's chief football administrative officer, was at the game and communicated with Bills coach Sean McDermott and Bengals coach Zac Taylor and the referee.

"It was fluid and things were changing by the minute," Vincent said. "It was obvious on the phone that the emotions were extremely high. It was a very volatile situation."

Vincent refuted ESPN's broadcast report that both teams were given a five-minute warmup period to resume playing.

"I'm not sure where that came from," Vincent said. "It never crossed our mind to talk about warming up to resume play. That's ridiculous. That's insensitive. That's not a place we should ever be in."

Will the Bills vs Bengals game be rescheduled?

The Bills-Bengals game has major playoff implications. Both teams are battling for the AFC's No. 1 seed. The Bills (12-3) entered the game in the top spot while the Bengals (11-4) had a chance to clinch the AFC North with a victory and also were in the mix for the No. 1 seed along with Kansas City (13-3).

The Bengals led 7-3 in the first quarter when the game was stopped.

Jeff Miller, the NFL's executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy, said during a conference call shortly after midnight that a time frame for resuming the game was not being considered at the time.

"Our concern is for the player and his well-being. At the appropriate time, I'm sure that we'll have a conversation around the next steps regarding the game," Miller said.

The NFL is entering the final week of the regular season and the playoffs are scheduled to begin Jan. 14.

Who is Damar Hamlin?

Hamlin is a second-year safety with the Bills. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Buffalo out of the University of Pittsburgh. Hamlin overcame losing multiple friends to gun violence and his dad to prison to become a feel-good story to make the Bills.

He saw action in 14 games as a rookie, making two tackles. Hamlin was thrust into a starting role in September after Micah Hyde went down with a season-ending injury. Hamlin was starting his 14th game in 2022 and has 92 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Hamlin was a four-star high school prospect and received dozens of Division I offers, including Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Clemson. He opted to attend his hometown college. Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, which is 7 miles from the University of Pittsburgh campus. He had 290 tackles and six interceptions in his Panthers' career and was named second-team All-ACC as a senior.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Damar Hamlin update: Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed