NFL makes decision on Bengals-Bills game after horrifying Damar Hamlin injury

The Bills-Bengals game will not resume this week after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter of Monday night’s game.

The NFL announced Tuesday that the game, which was halted during the first quarter after the 24-year-old safety went into cardiac arrest, will not be picked up this week, and that the league’s Week 18 slate will continue as scheduled.

“The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association,” the NFL said in a statement. “After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-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 league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule. We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.”

Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during “Monday Night Football” against the Bengals. Follow the New York Post’s live coverage for injury updates on his condition.

For Bills-Bengals to resume at a later date than this week, it would likely mean that the first round of the NFL playoffs would have to be pushed back. The NFL has a buffer week in between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl, but it would be unprecedented to move the rest of the postseason back by a week.

Hamlin collapsed on the field after making a tackle on Bengals wideout Tee Higgins. He was administered CPR before being taken off the field in an ambulance.

As Hamlin continues to undergo treatment, fans across America have raised several million dollars for a toy drive that he launched in 2020, before he entered the NFL, which had an original goal of raising $2,500.