Eagles send prayers after Bills' Damar Hamlin collapses on field
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The Philadelphia Eagles and some of their players sent their prayers to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after he collapsed on the field during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night.
Hamlin collapsed on the field and was administered CPR before being driven away in an ambulance. The game was temporarily suspended and eventually postponed.
The NFL said Hamlin is in critical condition at the hospital.
Hamlin collided with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins after a completion. He got to his feet, appeared to adjust his face mask with his right hand, and then fell backward about three seconds later and lay motionless.
He was surrounded by stunned players from both teams. The ambulance was on the field four minutes after Hamlin collapsed, with many players in tears, including cornerback Tre'Davious White.
When Hamlin was taken off the field 16 minutes after he collapsed, the Bills gathered in prayer. He was driven to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Hamlin's uniform was cut off and he appeared to be getting CPR from medical personnel.
Hamlin collapsed at 8:55 p.m. Eastern and the game was suspended 21 minutes later. Players walked off the field slowly and into their locker rooms. The game was officially postponed shortly after 10 p.m.
The Eagles said in a social media post, "Sending our prayers to @HamlinIsland and the @BuffaloBills 🙏."
Some Eagles also took to social media to send prayers Hamlin's way.
The 24-year-old Hamlin spent five years of college at Pitt -- his hometown -- and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.
He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.
Entering the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.
A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: "Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3," the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. "Praying for you."