Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin Has Shown ‘Remarkable Improvement’ Since On-Field Collapse

Damar Hamlin, a safety for the Buffalo Bills, has made “substantial improvement” since he collapsed during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night.

During a University of Cincinnati Medical Center presser, doctors spoke out about his progress, revealing that he is moving his hands and feet and communicating through writing.

Dr. Timothy Pritts shared that Damar is “unable to speak” because he is still using a breathing tube, but said his first written question as he began to wake up was, “Did we win?”

Pritts replied, "The answer is yes, Damar, you won the game of life."

He also explained, “There's been substantial improvement in his condition over the past 24 hours. We had significant concern about him after the injury and after the event that happened on the field, but he's making substantial progress."

Pritts went on, “As of this morning, he is beginning to awaken, and it appears that his neurological condition and function is intact… He continues to be critically ill and continues to undergo intensive care in our surgical and trauma ICU.”

When asked if Damar would make a full recovery, Pritts said, "The focus right now in terms of helping him to recover, liberate (from the ventilator) and continue to get stronger and rehabilitate, but it is entirely too early to project into the future.”

Dr. William Knight added, “We want to see him continue to breathe more on his own, and we want to get him breathing completely on his own. That will be the next big milestone for him.”

As far as what caused Hamlin to go into cardiac arrest during the game, Knight said, "The answer to that is that that workup is ongoing. We do not have definitive answers as to the etiology of the arrest, and tests will continues to progress.”

The Bills also shared an update on Twitter, writing, “Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours. While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”

The tweet closed with, “We are grateful for the love and support we have received.

Damar’s agent Ron Butler also told CNN that Hamlin is awake and holding hands with family.

Hamlin’s teammate Kaiir Elam, also tweeted, “Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement. Thank you God. Keep the prayers coming please. All love 3!”

Damar, 24, fell to the ground during the game just after a tackle by Bengals’ Tee Higgins.

The Bills team trainers immediately rushed to his side and an ambulance was called. Hamlin received CPR on the field before being taken to a hospital.

The team posted an update on Twitter late Monday night that said, “Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals. His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”