- The Buffalo Bills released a statement saying Damar Hamlin "appears to be neurologically intact," three days after he had a cardiac arrest.
- "His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress," the statement reads.
The Buffalo Bills shared an optimistic health update on their safety Damar Hamlin on Thursday morning, three days after he collapsed in the middle of a game against the Bengals and was rushed off the field in an ambulance.
"Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours," the Bills' statement read. "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.
"We are grateful for the love and support we have received," the statement concluded.
—Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 5, 2023
On Monday night, Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field and was treated with CPR for several minutes. Players looked on in shock and prayed together for his recovery. The game between the Bills and Bengals was postponed, and both teammates and fans rushed to the hospital to offer support and prayers.
Few updates were available on Hamlin's status on Monday night, with the NFL saying in a statement that he was at the hospital in critical condition. In the days that followed, there were signs of optimism, with the Hamlin friend-and-family spokesperson Jordon Rooney saying that things were "moving in a positive direction" on Wednesday morning.
The Bills' statement on Thursday provided the most positive development yet that Hamlin was doing well in his recovery.
Just before the Bills' statement came out, teammate Kaiir Elam, a rookie cornerback for Buffalo, tweeted out a similarly hopeful update.
—Kaiir Elam (@kaiirelam5) January 5, 2023
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network also reported that Hamlin was awake and responsive:
—Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2023
As the Bills continue to hope for the recovery of their teammate and friend, they have also returned to work, beginning preparations for their final game of the regular season on Sunday against the New England Patriots.