‘I know he could hear me’: Colts’ Rodney Thomas II details bedside hospital visit with Damar Hamlin as he remains in critical condition

Initially regarded as an important late-season matchup with significant playoff implications, the showdown averaged 21.1 million viewers on ESPN during gameplay, according to Nielsen ratings. After Hamlin’s collapse, viewers grew to a historic 23.9 million, making the telecast the most watched “Monday Night Football” in ESPN history.

NFL will investigate every possible cause

It is still unclear what caused Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, but NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said the league will investigate what could have led to the player’s collapse during the game.

Any time a player is evacuated from the field, the NFL and its medical experts perform a detailed review of what happened, Sills explained on a call with reporters Wednesday. They also examine the role protective equipment may have played, he said.

Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills looks on prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Megan Briggs/Getty Images

What are cardiac arrest, heart attack and heart failure?

In some cases, Sills said, the medical team will not be able to determine what caused the problem.

The doctor also addressed theories that the cardiac arrest could have been caused by commotio cordis, which occurs when severe trauma to the chest disrupts the heart’s electrical charge, causing dangerous fibrillations.

“You have to have the right type of blow hitting at the right spot on the chest with the right amount of force at just the right time in that cardiac cycle. So a lot of things have to line up for that to happen,” he said, emphasizing that while it is possible, investigators will consider all options.

Sills attributed the “transformational response” of medical personnel when Hamlin collapsed to the “60-minute meeting” that is held among medical teams and NFL officials before every game. During the meeting, teams identify the location of medical equipment and nearby medical centers, and establish a chain of command in case of an emergency, including cardiac arrest, among other things.

Shock still weighing heavily on the Bills

Hamlin’s collapse is the latest in a string of recent tragedies that have struck the community of Buffalo and and its beloved football team, including a racist mass shooting and a historic blizzard that left at least 41 people dead in Erie County, New York.

A high-ranking official within the Bills organization told CNN’s Coy Wire that they broke down in tears after day and night-long meetings on Tuesday, sobbing because of the heaviness of the situation.

Jan 3, 2023; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Buffalo Sabres players walk into their locker room wearing t-shirts in support of stricken Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (not pictured) prior to the Sabres game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Geoff Burke//USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

'This one was for you, Damar': Buffalo Sabres honor Damar Hamlin after overtime win

The series of difficult blows to Buffalo have emotionally piled up within the organization, the source said, adding that through it all, the team has tried to be a source of strength for the city, the source tells Wire.

The source pointed to the performance of Buffalo Sabres hockey forward Tage Thompson on Tuesday night as a “glimmer of hope” at a time when the team needs inspiration.

Hamlin’s jersey number, 3, was a recurring motif throughout the game, played on January 3. Thompson’s three goals during overtime brought the Sabres a win. It was Thompson’s third hat trick of the season and his third goal came fortuitously in the third minute of overtime.

The Sabres also wore “Love for 3” t-shirts honoring Hamlin before the game.

CNN’s Ben Morse, Oliver Darcy, Jennifer Korn, Katherine Dillinger, Jen Christensen, David Close, Wayne Sterling, Jason Hanna, Adrienne Broaddus and Amanda Watts contributed to this report.