The Buffalo Bills provided an encouraging update on safety Damar Hamlin on Thursday.
The team said Hamlin showed “remarkable improvement” over the last day and that he appears to be “neurologically intact,” per physicians at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. While the team said the 24-year-old is “still critically ill,” it said he continues to make progress.
Here is the full statement from the team:
Hamlin’s agency, Agency 1 Sports, also posted a statement about Hamlin’s “substantial improvement” and the support he has received from across the NFL.
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Kaiir Elam, who is teammates with Hamlin in the Bills’ secondary, also provided an update.
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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Hamlin opened his eyes Wednesday night and has been gripping the hands of those near him.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini also reported that Hamlin’s doctors believe he is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery.
Hamlin collapsed on the field during Monday’s matchup between the Bills and Bengals in Cincinnati. He suffered a cardiac arrest, was listed in critical condition late Monday night and has been at the UCMC since.
The Bills are scheduled to practice on Thursday for the first time since Monday’s game. The NFL announced on Tuesday that the Bills-Bengals matchup would not resume this week and the status of that game remains uncertain. Buffalo’s next game is at home against the New England Patriots on Sunday.