Homero De la Fuente and Steve Almasy, CNN
Mon, Oct. 16, 2023, 12:50 p.m. GMT+1, 2 minutes read
Running back Damien Harris of the Buffalo Bills was taken off the field in an ambulance on Sunday night following a neck injury he suffered during the team’s home game against the New York Giants.
The Bills announced on X, the former Twitter platform, that Damien Harris (neck) will not be playing in the game. “He can move his legs and arms. Harris is being sent to the hospital to undergo more tests.
On his first rush of the game in the second quarter, Harris was hurt when Giants defender Bobby Okereke tackled him while he was running one yard. Following the play, the 26-year-old stayed down until players from both teams motioned for athletic trainers and doctors.
With players and coaches surrounding Harris, an ambulance was brought out to the field as he was placed to a backboard and a stretcher. He gave a thumbs up as he was being loaded into the ambulance.
athletic trainers and doctors.
One of the people anxiously looking on was Bills backup safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals in early January that prompted NFL officials to cancel the rest of the game.
Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle and taking a hit to the chest area. Medical professionals performed CPR on Hamlin when he lost his pulse and he needed to be revived through resuscitation and defibrillation. He was on a ventilator for days and spent more than a week in a Cincinnati hospital.
It was later determined that Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was caused by commotio cordis, which can occur when severe trauma to the chest disrupts the heart’s electrical charge and causes dangerous fibrillations (or abnormal heartbeats).
Hamlin was fully cleared to resume football activities in April and by August, the 25-year-old was a full participant in preseason games. He made the roster for the regular season but has played only one game this season. He didn’t suit up Sunday night but was on the bench where TV cameras showed him with his head down.
The Bills won Sunday’s game 14-9. Their next game is against the New England Patriots on Sunday, October 22.
CNN’s Aimee Lewis contributed to this report.
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