National Football League

Damar Hamlin’s recovery moving in positive direction, per family representative

Updated Jan. 4, 2023 1:40 p.m. ET

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Damar Hamlin’s recovery is moving in "a positive direction" two days after the Buffalo Bills safety collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during a game against Cincinnati, the player’s marketing representative said Wednesday.

"We all remain optimistic," Jordon Rooney, a family spokesman who described himself as a good friend of the player, told The Associated Press by phone. He said he was unable to go into further detail on Hamlin’s status at the request of his family not to provide specifics.

The Bills released a statement Wednesday afternoon confirming Hamlin's progress.

"Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight," the statement said. "He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him." 

Rooney said Hamlin’s family was staying positive and buoyed by the outpouring of worldwide support the Bills player has received since his heart stopped and he was resuscitated on the field before being loaded into an ambulance and transported the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

"They are elated right now," Rooney said. "Damar is still their first concern. But for them, they always look at how they can turn a somewhat troubling situation into a good one. The bounce back from this, for him and his family is going to be incredible."

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Rooney’s update comes after Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told numerous media outlets Tuesday night there were some encouraging signs in his nephew’s progress, such as doctors lowering the level of oxygen Hamlin needs from 100% to 50%.

"He’s still sedated right now," Glenn told CNN. "They just want him to have a better chance of recovering better. So, they feel that if he’s sedated, his body can heal a lot faster than if he was woke and possibly cause other complications."

Rooney did want to clarify one thing Glenn said by saying there was a misunderstanding when the uncle said Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice. Rooney said that "isn’t exactly true," without going into further detail.

Hamlin’s collapse, which played out in front of a national television audience on ESPN’s "Monday Night Football," has put the NFL on hold, with the pivotal game suspended indefinitely. The Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) are battling with the Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

The Bills, who returned to Buffalo early Tuesday, are scheduled to hold team meetings and a walkthrough practice on Wednesday. They are expected to resume practicing Thursday in advance of their home game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Players and fans from across the NFL rallied to Hamlin’s support, with vigils held in Cincinnati and outside the Bills’ home stadium. The shock of what happened also reverberated in Pittsburgh, where the 24-year-old Hamlin grew up and was determined to give back to those in need.

Hamlin was hurt in the first quarter when he was struck squarely in the chest while making what appeared to be routine tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin briefly got up and adjusted his facemask before collapsing backward.

Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, a hardscrabble exurb of Pittsburgh, and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Pitt. He spent his rookie season limited to special teams roles, and took over the starting job in Week 3 in place of veteran Micah Hyde, who remains sidelined by a neck injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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