Football players are not pawns in a chess match—they’re humans, friends and brothers. When the players, officials and viewers get caught up in the game, it’s easy to forget that.
Monday night’s Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills game—or at least what we saw of it—was historic. Moments into the first quarter, something unprecedented occurred—Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after suffering a cardiac arrest.
There is no real way to prevent what happened to Hamlin from happening again. It was a freak accident. The sport doesn’t change, but what can change is our perspective as we watch these games. The incident humanized the NFL—each man has a story behind the helmet. They have lives. They have families. It shouldn’t have taken Hamlin’s heart stopping to realize that.
For hours, football officials, players, in-stadium attendees, and at-home viewers were left wondering if Hamlin was okay and what the NFL‘s next move would be.
“The atmosphere went from one of the most electric energies to deafening silence,” said Bengals superfan Keith Scott, who was in attendance that evening. Bills and Bengals players alike took a knee, huddled together to pray, and patiently awaited any news about his well-being. The continuation of the game itself seemed like an afterthought.
Extra commercial breaks were inserted while the NFL considered how to proceed that evening. You didn’t see any shots of medics working on Hamlin. Instead, you saw the pure terror on the faces of players and coaches. Among the moments captured at the time was an embrace between Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor and Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott.
Eventually, it was announced that the game was suspended, a rarity for the NFL. As a depressed air fell over Paycor Stadium, the world bonded together. Millions expressed their support for Hamlin and his family—football fans and even non-sports enthusiasts felt the gravity of the situation. Hamlin’s incident was a tragic wake-up call that players are people, too.
“Sometimes, we’re looked at like gladiators, but at the end of the day, we’re still human,” said retired Cleveland Browns running back Tre Harbison, who now focuses on being a father to his 2-month-old son, Koda. For these players, the NFL is the dream. But it’s not just about time on the field—it’s about building generational wealth.
“The average player in the NFL lasts two and a half years in the league,” said sports marketing agent and talent manager Daniel David. “The guys I work with are looking at the long-term, making funds for their kids and their grandkids. Football isn’t everything to these athletes.”
There is no question the NFL made the right move in postponing the game. There should have been no hesitation to halt in the first place. Although football is a business, players’ health (both physical and mental) comes first. Forcing these men to continue playing while wondering whether their teammate was alive would have been unfair. It would have sent a negative message that the game supersedes all, and that any player is replaceable.
As the football world considers its next move, the league should be taking steps to ensure player safety, which includes supporting athlete’s mental health. NFL agent Andy Ross—whose client, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Tim Settle, was in the arena when Hamlin went down—believes checking in on players’ well-being is vital, not just in the aftermath of the accident, but always.
“The NFL Players Association has done a great job in reaching out to the players about mental health with a variety of resources,” Ross said. “Therapy, counselors and in-house psychiatrists are available for men across all football teams.”
Damar Hamlin is sedated in the hospital on a ventilator and reported to be making progress in his recovery. The Bengals-Bills game will not be resumed this week, and a rescheduled date has not been decided.
Carrie Berk is a New York City-based writer. Her work has been featured in CBS Watch, Stylecaster, Girls’ Life and more. She is also a social media influencer, with over 3.7 million followers on TikTok and 950,000 on Instagram (@carrieberkk).
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
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