The National Football League is stepping up its support for the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin.
Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Saturday that players and coaches on all 32 NFL teams will wear “Love for Damar 3” t-shirts during their pre-game warm-ups, “as a league-wide show of support for Damar.”
“Damar Hamlin’s inspiring advances over the past few days have lifted spirits throughout the NFL and football fans across the country,” Goodell wrote in a message posted to social media. “Seeing the entire NFL family – teams, players, coaches and fans like you – together was another reminder that football is a family: human, loving and resilient.”
“I am deeply confident that as Damar continues to progress, he has a good chance of observing his teammates,” Goodell continued. “We are grateful and humbled to all who have played a part as he continues on his road to recovery.”
The Buffalo Bills tweeted the hashtag “LoveForDamar3” on Saturday and said players will wear a special “3” patch for Hamlin during their game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The team officially placed Hamlin on the injured reserve list on Friday.
Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field after picking up a hard tackle in the chest in Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin was revived for 10 minutes and apparently put on oxygen before being taken to hospital in critical condition.
On Friday, the Buffalo Bills announced that Hamlin is now able to breathe on his own and talk to his family. They said, “He continues to make remarkable progress in his recovery.” The NFL also officially canceled the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Hamlin’s doctors also noted Thursday that his “neurological function remains intact” as he was able to move his hands and feet, but needed further testing to determine the cause of his cardiac arrest.
However, one of his doctors told the media that it was “completely too early to project a full recovery into the future” as Hamlin’s long-term recovery was “a little” away.
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