Bills, Bengals players in tears as sports world reacts to Damar Hamlin injury

Payments receiver Stefon Diggs stood on the sphere staring straight forward as tears welled up in his eyes. “Come on. Come on,” he was seen saying.

ESPN’s broadcast confirmed fullback Reggie Gilliam holding arms with tight finish Dawson Knox as they stood on the sphere and prayed.

Quarterbacks Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, each teary-eyed, embraced on the sphere. At one level, Payments Coach Sean McDermott and Bengals Coach Zac Taylor gathered on the sphere with officers, then led their groups to their locker rooms.

Shortly after 10 p.m. Japanese time, the league suspended play for the remainder of the night.

“The NFL is an enormous enterprise, and the NFL has to proceed doing enterprise, and the NFL has to proceed entertaining,” former Washington security and present ESPN analyst Ryan Clark mentioned on the community’s broadcast. “But when the NFL doesn’t ship any individual into these locker rooms, if the NFL isn’t flying folks to Cincinnati proper now or to Buffalo or wherever they’re going proper now, they’re lacking the purpose. The purpose is make certain these males are all proper, after which you’ll be able to play soccer. As a result of what I’m going to let you know is, when you put them on the market tomorrow, you’re going to get a trash sport anyway as a result of … what’s vital is Damar Hamlin.”

As a wave of shock rushed over the stadium, present and former gamers and others all through the sports activities world shared prayers and messages of hope on social media.

Devon Nonetheless, a 2012 second-round decide by the Bengals, tweeted: “This sport is a dream for thus many, however can shortly flip right into a nightmare. Praying that Damar pulls via.”

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who suffered a career-ending spinal wire harm on a success in 2017, was among the many many who urged prayer for Hamlin and his household.

Others across the sports activities world inspired the identical.

“Pls [prayer emoji] for Damar Hamlin,” famed basketball commentator Dick Vitale tweeted. “I’ve by no means seen an incident like this in all my life … praying for some excellent news! Soccer is the least vital factor proper now.”

Added quarterback Patrick Mahomes: “Praying exhausting.. please be okay man.”

LeBron James retweeted a video from earlier within the season of Hamlin hugging his household earlier than a sport. Former tight finish Rob Gronkowski recirculated a tweet from the Bills’ official account that included a photograph of the staff gathering in prayer.

“All of the love and plenty of prayers for Damar, his household, and the #BillsMafia We’re with you,” Gronkowski wrote.