Many are applauding the NFL for their decision to postpone Monday night’s game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals after Bills safety Damar Hamlin had to be rushed to a local hospital in critical condition following a violent collision with Bengals WR Tee Higgins.
However, based on recent reports, it was not the NFL who made the decision to halt the game. Rather, it was the players and coaches from both sides who refused to continue playing after watching medics administer CPR on Hamlin for several minutes.
According to sources, captains and coaches from both teams said they would not continue the game. At that point, the NFL had no choice but to postpone the contest, which has plenty of implications, as both teams are battling or top spot in the AFC—which comes with home-field advantage in the playoffs and a first round bye.
At the moment, Hamlin’s health is all that matters. Once his status becomes clearer, it’s expected that the NFL will make a decision on how to move forward with this game.