NFL Did Not Cancel Damar Hamlin Game Damning Report Says

Reports indicate the NFL did not actually cancel the game after Damar Hamlin collapsed. The players essentially refused to continue forcing the leagues hand. That distinction matters.

When Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field the immediate response was medical. What happened next in terms of game decisions tells you about the NFLs priorities.

ESPN reported on the timeline of decisions that night and who made them.

According to sources league officials were initially planning a brief delay not a cancellation. Players on both teams made clear they werent playing regardless of what management wanted.

NFL decision making has always prioritized the product over people. This incident made that tension visible.

The five minute warm up announcement that came after the collapse was tone deaf at best. Players still in shock were being told to get ready to resume.

That the game was eventually cancelled doesnt redeem the initial instinct. The league only did the right thing when the alternative was players walking off anyway.

Hamlin survived which is miraculous. The conversation about what almost happened that night and what it revealed about the NFL continues.

Report published January 2023