Sunday’s regular season finale between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills is expected to go on as planned, but multiple players, including Patriots special teams legend Matthew Slater, are unsure of what to expect, particularly after the incident involving Damar Hamlin.
The Bills safety went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during the team’s Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. His heartbeat had to be restored, before he was ultimately transferred to the hospital and listed in critical condition.
There have been several positive updates on Thursday, including NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that Hamlin opened his eyes on Wednesday night.
Even for New England, it’s a tough situation given the nature of what happened. The entire incident was a humbling reminder that some things are much bigger than the game of football.
There will surely be a monumental wave of emotions at Highmark Stadium by kickoff the likes of which Slater and others have never seen.
“I expect it to be something that I’ve never experienced before,” said Slater, via NESN’s Zack Cox. “You’re hoping that — and I say this with all honesty — you’re hoping that by the time we get to the game, it’s a little bit more of a joyous one where they’ve got some better news on Damar, and I think we’ll all feel better about it. I know our team will feel better about it and have a little bit more peace. I’m sure you guys covering it will feel better about it if we have some good news on him.
“I’m sure it’ll be something that none of us have ever really experienced. We’ll cross that road when we get to it. In the meantime, we’ll just continue to pray that the Lord is with Damar and he continues to improve.”
It will surely be an emotional game for players, coaches, staff and fans on both sides in a pivotal matchup between AFC East rivals. But through all of the team colors and playful banter, there’s a united hope that Hamlin makes a full recovery.
