Monday Night Football took a scary turn midway through the first quarter when Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin received roughly 10 minutes of CPR and was later transferred to a nearby hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
It was later announced that Hamlin had gone into cardiac arrest.
Players from both sidelines were visibly shaken by the event and remained emotional while Hamlin underwent medical evaluations.
His collapse -- and the reactions of players and fans immediately after -- evoked emotion around the league with fellow players tweeting messages of support for Hamlin, his family, the Bills organization and the entire medical staff.
Sports
Others sent their support to Tee Higgins, the 23-year-old Bengals wide receiver involved in the player directly prior to Hamlin's collapse. Higgins himself tweeted that he is praying for Hamlin.
It also called to mind past medical emergencies in sports, such as Ryan Shazier's spinal contusion during a Monday Night Football matchup in 2017.
The impact and outpouring of emotions following Hamlin's collapse stretched well beyond the Paycor Stadium.
In spite of the emotional and scary circumstances, pundits and analysts were generally lauded for their empathetic and touching response.
However, there was some controversy surrounding the decision whether or not to resume the game. Play was initially suspended temporarily -- with some reports claiming that the NFL told the teams they had five minutes to regroup before resuming play -- before eventually being postponed indefinitely. Many questioned the league and those who seemed to prioritize the completion of the game.
At the center of this controversy was Skip Bayless, co-host of "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed." Bayless was on the receiving end of a number of players' backlash for a tweet that focused on the "magnitude" of this game for the regular-season standings. He later issued a second tweet clarifying his initial sentiments.
