ESPN doubles down on claim that NFL offered 5-minute warm-up, wanted to resume game post Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest

A controversy has arisen regarding on-air comments made by broadcaster Joe Buck following the horrific incident involving Damar Hamlin in the match between Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.

Bills safety Hamlin suddenly collapsed during the game against the Bengals on Monday Night Football during Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season.

The shocking event forced the medical staff to perform CPR and use an AED on Hamlin on the field before rushing him to an ambulance which transported the player to a hospital.

He reportedly suffered cardiac arrest and remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The NFL world is praying for his recovery, while anxiously awaiting positive news.

The unprecedented situation understandably caused a lot of confusion around the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals and how to handle things moving forward.

It's no secret that football is an extremely violent game and players suffer relatively serious injuries fairly often. While not all of them are life-threatening like Damar Hamlin's, it happens with some frequency.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were the main broadcasters for the game that was being aired on ESPN. Buck announced to the audience that the game would resume after a five-minute warm-up period following the departure of the ambulance from the field.

This is often the procedure when a player is stretchered off, but not necessarily when a player is revived on the field.

ESPN released an official statement the following day explaining why Joe Buck claimed the game would resume:

Joe Buck's intentions were not to be insensitive to the serious conditions surrounding Damar Hamlin. He was simply attempting to do his job, which is to inform the viewers of the next steps.

This complex situation rapidly changed in real-time, so Buck did the best he could. He eventually let the viewers know that the game will be suspended indefinitely.

Will the Bengals and Bills conclude their suspended game following Damar Hamlin's tragic injury?

Buffalo Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals game postponed

Following the Damar Hamlin incident, the NFL immediately suspended the game between the Bills and Bengals indefinitely. It was initially unclear whether the game would be completed on Monday night. But it was eventually postponed following an official announcement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's front office.

The NFL then released this official statement the following day:

They currently have no plans to complete the game, but they did leave the door open for a potential conclusion at some point following Week 18 of the 2022 NFL season. This may be tricky, as the NFL Playoffs begin next week. Presently, the game will be left incomplete, and Week 18 continues forward as previously scheduled.