The football game between the Buffalo Bill and Cincinnati Bengals, during which Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field from cardiac arrest following a tackle, has been canceled and will not be re-scheduled, the NFL announced Thursday night.
“We continue to focus on the recovery of Damar Hamlin and are encouraged by the improvements in his condition as well as the tremendous outpouring of support and care for Damar and his family from across the country,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement announcing the decision.
Hamlin has been hospitalized in critical condition since the Monday night incident. Doctors on Thursday said he had made “substantial improvement” and was now awake and appeared neurologically intact and was communicating via writing while he remains intubated to assist him with breathing as he continues to recover.
As for how the cancellation will affect postseason standings, the NFL in announcing their decision Thursday said the outcome of the game — in which the Bengals were leading 7-3 with fewer than six minutes remaining in the first quarter of play — would have no bearing on which teams qualified for the postseason. They further noted that playing the game would have altered the playoff schedule for the remaining teams, and not playing the game would allow all clubs to know the postseason possibilities before the start of Week 18.
The league’s owners will vote Friday on scenarios, approved Thursday by the NFL competition committee, that involve a neutral site for an AFC Championship Game. The scenarios will be dependent on Week 18 outcomes.
Source-ABC
