President Biden on Thursday said he and First Lady Jill Biden are continuing to pray for Damar Hamlin and his family as the Buffalo Bills safety shows signs of improvement after suffering cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday.
“Great news,” the president tweeted Thursday, in response to the Buffalo Bills providing an update on Hamlin’s condition, announcing that he appears to be “neurologically intact.”
DAMAR HAMLIN APPEARS TO BE ‘NEUROLOGICALLY INTACT,’ TEAM SAYS; TEAMMATE ADDS PLAYER IS ‘AWAKE’
U.S. President Joe Biden departs from Holy Spirit Catholic Church after attending Mass on St. Johns Island, South Carolina, U.S., August 13, 2022.
(REUTERS/Joshua Roberts)
“Damar, like I told your mom and dad yesterday, Jill and I—along with all of America—are praying for you and your family,” the president said.
FILE – Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin (3) leaves the field after an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, in Foxborough, Mass.
(AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper, File)
The president spoke “at length” to Hamlin’s mother and father after his injury Monday. Hamlin has been listed in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center intensive care unit since collapsing during a game against the Bengals.
The Bills on Thursday said that, according to 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,” the Bills said. “His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress.”
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The Bills added: “We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (85) runs near Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Cincinnati. Hamlin was injured on the play.
(AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel)
Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam provided updates on Hamlin, saying that he is “awake and showing more signs of improvement.”
“Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement,” Elam posted to Twitter. “Thank you God. Keep the prayers coming please. All love 3!”
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Hamlin has been in critical condition since Monday night, when he suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit on Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.
Hamlin fell to the turf following the tackle and was administered CPR before an ambulance rushed him to the hospital. Thursday’s update is the most positive since Monday night.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced that the game “will not be resumed this week” and that no decision has been made about its possible resumption at a later date.
On Wednesday, President Biden was asked whether the NFL was getting “too dangerous,” to which he replied, “No.”
“Look, the idea that you’re going to have . . . you got guys that are 6’8, 340 pounds running a 4.8 [seconds] 40 [yard dash]. I mean, you know, you hit somebody with that kind of force. . . . Now, that’s not what happened here,” Biden told reporters this week.
“I don’t know how you avoid it. I think working like hell on the helmets and the concussion protocols, that all makes a lot of sense. But it’s you know, it is dangerous,” Biden continued. “We’ve got to just acknowledge it.”
Fox News’ Joe Morgan contributed to this report.