The Broncos returned to practice Wednesday shaken and unsettled, like the rest of the league, after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field at Cincinnati on Monday night.
Medical personnel administered CPR to Hamlin for several minutes on the field and eventually transported him to a local hospital where as of Wednesday late afternoon he remained in critical condition.
Two time zones away, Broncos players and interim head coach Jerry Rosburg said watching another NFL player make a routine-looking play and find himself fighting for his life hit close to home.
“We know that injuries are going to happen and this game is a physical game,” Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson said, “but, you know, people always say they’d die for this game and everything else, but when itap really life on the line like we saw the other night and somebody’s heart stops, it changes your perspective even that much more. Itap just, life is so much bigger than this game.
“This game is important, itap significant, itap something that we all care about. It brings us joy. But itap also not the everlasting thing.”
The NFL’s Week 18 slate is proceeding as scheduled, though Wednesday the league moved Cincinnati’s game against Baltimore from Saturday to Sunday. Buffalo is set to face New England on Sunday and the Broncos close their season at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Broncos players, including Denver safety Justin Simmons, found it difficult to articulate how to go about compartmentalizing what they witnessed Monday night while preparing for Sunday’s game.
“Itap a good question. Honestly, I’m not sure,” Simmons said. “Me personally, I’ve had a lot of conversations with the guys (in the secondary). It happened to our position, right? We play that position, we’ve taken hits and given hits much worse than that one seemed and I think thatap the scariest part, watching that.
“Itap just unbelievable.”
Denver’s closest connection to Hamlin is rookie cornerback Damarri Mathis, who played in the same secondary with him at Pittsburgh. Mathis sustained a concussion Sunday at Kansas City trying to tackle Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and, according to Rosburg, declined an invitation to talk about Hamlin during Wednesday’s team meeting. He did, however, talk with Rosburg about his former teammate.
“He told us of (Hamlin)’s high character and (his) friendliness,” Rosburg said of Mathis’ message and imparting his words as if he were speaking to Hamlin directly. “He told us of your incredible ability to lead people, of your love and commitment to others, to community service and raising other people up. Thatap a remarkable thing. So today, Damar, we honor you. Today, we will strive to be better in the areas of our lives that you are so good at and that with all recourse and prayers, will return to.”
Mathis’ teammates, meanwhile, are doing what they can to help him as he navigates his own injury and the trauma of watching a former teammate and friend in critical condition.
“I’ve had some conversations with Damarri just to make sure he’s OK,” Simmons said. “He knows Damar really well so just checking on him and making sure he’s OK. I know he’s reached out and all that stuff. He seems to be in a pretty good place, but you never know with those types of things and what people are holding on to….I don’t know what I can say or I don’t know if I can say anything (that helps), but I’m here for him. Not just me. (All) The DBs.
“Just letting him know that, when we preach brotherhood and family, we really mean it.”
The NFL bond has been on display for Hamlin since Monday’s game. The Broncos, for example, illuminated Empower Field with Bills colors. Before his injury, Hamlin started a fundraiser for a toy drive with a goal of raising $2,500. As of Wednesday afternoon, the total raised surpassed $6.6 million from more than 212,000 contributors. That included a total of $13,333 from Russell and Ciara Wilson and their “Why Not You Foundation.”
“Listen, there’s so many people that have made a difference,” Wilson said. “People coming together to donate, to help, even the people from the Bengals waiting outside (the hospital) to just to cheer him on and hope he’s OK. I saw an image of Buffalo Bills fans and Bengals fans locking arms and praying and lighting candles. Those are the things that go a long way. Whatever me and ‘C’ and our foundation can do to help, but there’s so many people that are doing so much good in this moment.”
It is a heartening silver lining, but several players made it clear that what happened Monday night fundamentally altered the way they think about the risks of playing, even if it doesn’t stop them from taking the field.
“Us as players, we watch games every week, watch as much as we can, watch film and everything else,” Wilson said. “But you never really think about and never really imagine that one hit could take your life away.”
