Journalist Marshall Kramsky described the "bone-chilling experience" of being in the stadium as Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest in Monday's game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kramsky, who covers the Bengals, was reporting on the fixture at the Paycor Stadium.
The game was suspended after 24-year-old Hamlin, who as of Tuesday was in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital, collapsed on the field.
Hamlin received emergency treatment, including CPR, before he was transported from the stadium in an ambulance.
"I've never seen a stretcher come out so fast. I'm a former athlete myself and in my journalism career or in my sports career, I've never seen such quick action," Kramsky told Stats Perform.
"We heard the mics of the players, [Bengals running back] Joe Mixon screaming 'check him out, check him out!' after Damar Hamlin got up and collapsed.
"The players were immediately extremely emotional. I've never seen so many players crying, adult men hysterical. The ambulance comes out shortly after, CPR is going on for about 10 minutes, the AD defibrillator, that's being used. They're shocking his heart back to life.
"And then, not a fan left the stadium. Everyone and every player was still on the field kneeling, praying or crying."
The NFL eventually elected to suspend the game, though Kramsky never had any doubt it would be called off.
"This game was over as soon as he went down, which is crazy because that doesn't happen in professional sports," he added.
"The NFL took a while to make their decision. But it wasn't like they really made it, it was never a decision. It was just a matter of getting through the appropriate rungs.
"They're seeing the players, Joe Burrow the Bengals quarterback went into the Bills locker room later on. I saw Josh Allen extremely teary-eyed going into the Bengals locker room. It was emotional. Nobody really processing it, because how do you?
"It was a bone-chilling experience in the stadium. Players were still there until past one o'clock in the morning. It was a crazy night."
Kramsky was at least able to take some solace in the fact that fans of both teams, and from across the sporting world, have united behind Hamlin.
Having been drafted by the Bills in 2021, Hamlin established the Chasing M Foundation Community Toy Drive, and the fund raiser had received over $3million in donations in the wake of the incident.
"Tragedy brings people together and sports brings people together," Kramsky said.
"Yes, incredible. Unfortunately, not surprising, because it takes tragedy for this to happen. And it has brought people together.
"If you look at his GoFundMe for his toy drive, it had for over two years less than $3,000 raised. There's over $3million raised now.
"So yeah, as soon as that stretcher came out football became secondary. No one cared, it was all about Damar Hamlin and his family. And people did come together.
"Bills fans and Bengals fans are coming with candles praying, standing outside the stadium, outside the hospital. It's been a nice experience in that regard."
Saints to start rookie QB Rattler against Buccaneers
New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen has selected rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler to make his first regular-season NFL start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Allen confirmed Rattler as the starter on Wednesday with usual starter Derek Carr to miss at least one game because of a left oblique injury that occurred in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 26-13 loss in Kansas City on Monday night.
The decision means that Rattler, for the time being, moves ahead of second-year pro Jake Haener on the depth chart.
Haener replaced Carr after his injury in Kansas City and also played late in a pair of lopsided victories to start the season.
“We just internally talked a lot about it and felt like in this particular game he was going to give us the best chance to win,” Allen said of Rattler. “He’s a rookie so we’re going to have some challenges that go along with that, but I think we’ll have a good plan for him.”
Rattler was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of last spring’s NFL draft out of South Carolina.
He will become the fifth rookie quarterback to start his season, joining Caleb Williams (Bears), Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Bo Nix (Broncos) and Drake Maye, who is scheduled to also make his first career start Sunday for the Patriots against Houston.
Houston Texans put top receiver Nico Collins on IR
Nico Collins, the NFL's leader in receiving yards this season, will miss at least the Houston Texans' next four games after the team placed him on injured reserve Wednesday.
Collins, who has amassed 567 receiving yards during Houston's 4-1 start, injured his hamstring on a 67-yard touchdown catch during the first quarter of the Texans' 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The standout wide receiver will be eligible to return for the Texans' Week 10 clash against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 10.
After recording 80 catches, 1,297 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during a breakout 2023 campaign, Collins was on pace for an even better season in 2024. His 32 catches are tied for third in the NFL, while his seven receptions of 25 or more yards are tied with Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson for the most in the league.
Collins also tops the AFC South-leading Texans with three touchdown catches through five games.
“Nico has been the best receiver in the NFL this year," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said when updating Collins' injury on Monday. "So, do you replace him? No, everybody just steps up and whatever role you’re asked to do, just step up and play your role the proper way."
The Texans still have proven options at wide receiver despite Collins likely out for the next month.
Stefon Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowl selection who led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) with Buffalo in 2020, while Tank Dell produced 709 yards and seven touchdowns on 47 catches as a rookie in 2023 before having his season cut short after 11 games by a fractured fibula.
Diggs led the Texans with 82 yards on six catches last week in his first meeting with the Bills since being traded by Buffalo to Houston in the off-season.
"Nobody has to be Nico," Ryans said. "There is one Nico. He’s done a great job of that. Now, whoever is next, when your number is called, make the plays that you are supposed to make.”
Saints QB Derek Carr to miss multiple games
The New Orleans Saints will be without starting quarterback Derek Carr for multiple games, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.
Carr suffered an oblique injury in the fourth quarter of the Saints’ 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, leaving backup Jake Haener to finish the game.
It remains unclear whether Carr will be placed on injured reserve.
Haener, a fourth-round pick in 2023, could be the temporary starter in the coming weeks, but New Orleans could go with fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler.
Neither has started an NFL game.
Carr has been one of the healthiest quarterbacks in the NFL since he entered the league in 2014. He started all 17 games for the Saints last year despite an injury to his throwing shoulder.
In his second season in New Orleans, Carr had the Saints off to a dream 2-0 start, outscoring opponents 91-29. The Saints have lost three straight games since, however, and face the NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.
In Weeks 7 through 9, the Saints play against the Denver Broncos, at the Los Angeles Chargers and at the Carolina Panthers.
Carr ranks eighth among qualifying quarterbacks with a 100.7 passer rating this season. He has completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 989 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
Despite leaving Monday’s game with an injury, Carr reached a pair of milestones by going over 40,000 career passing yards and throwing his 250th touchdown.
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