Monday Night Football's matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills was suspended midway through the first quarter after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. Hamlin was given CPR on the field and taken to the hospital in an ambulance and the game was suspended until further notice.
Roger Goodell released a statement on Tuesday revealing that the Bengals and Bills would not make up this game this week. Considering what these teams witnessed on Monday night, this is 100% the right decision. No one should be asked to play a football game just days after watching Hamlin collapse and have to be administered CPR and taken away in an ambulance.
This is real life. Football is just a game.
Per the League: The Bills at Bengals game has been suspended until further notice. The NFL advised that last night’s game will not be resumed this week. No decision has been made to reschedule the game as well as any decision regarding this weekend's schedule.
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 3, 2023
Bengals vs Bills game won't be made up this week
Whether or not this game eventually gets made up doesn't matter right now. The most important thing right now for the NFL to focus on is the health of Hamlin. That's it. The playoffs and the rest of the NFL season don't matter.
People look at athletes as superheroes but the reality is that they're regular people, just like us. Watching one of their own have to receive CPR and then be taken away in an ambulance not knowing what's going to happen to him would be traumatizing to anyone. We cannot ask these players to suit up and play a football game after witnessing something like that.
Please continue to keep Damar Hamlin in your thoughts and prayers and please consider donating to his toy drive.