Dolphins react to Hamlin tragedy: ‘That play is going to live with me for the rest of my life’
Dolphins players reacted with sadness, reflection and concern Wednesday in their first locker room comments since Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during the first quarter of Monday’s game in Cincinnati.
“That play is going to live with me for the rest of my life, and it’s scary,” running back Raheem Mostert said.
The Bills announced Wednesday afternoon that “Damar remains in the ICU in critical condition with signs of improvement noted yesterday and overnight. He is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him.”
Several Dolphins offered a mix of heartfelt messages.
Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, who is the Dolphins’ players union representative, said: “I’m still dealing with it. Guys are still dealing with it in their own ways. It was definitely a tough situation to see, because at the end of the day — no matter how much we might have a rivalry with Buffalo, or you might go at it with other teams, when you’re out there for 60 minutes competing, you’re going as hard as you can. But at the end of the day, we’re all brothers in arms.”
Receiver Jaylen Waddle said: “We kind of get normal to how the game of football is played and don’t really look at how violent the game is. So seeing a play like that, it’s hard. I’m praying for him, his family, the Bills organization, his teammates and everyone involved in it. It’s tough but everyone’s praying for him. Our team, our family is praying for him.”
Dolphins players were heartened to see so many fan bases and teams offering their support for Hamlin.
“It’s known that the NFL is a brotherhood and everybody supports everybody,” safety Jevon Holland said. “But when stuff like that happens and you see the response from everybody, it’s heartwarming to know that everybody just wants everybody to be OK. That’s the bottom line.”
Coach Mike McDaniel discussed the matter with his team Wednesday,
“We addressed it as a team,’ said punter Thomas Morstead, who is on the players union’s executive committee.
“We talked about it before we talked about anything to do with our plan for the week, and really, the message for me personally was he’s fortunate that that happened where it happened. You want to either be on an NFL football field or in the emergency room when something like that happens.
“I think there’s over 30 medical specialists that have all sorts of different specialties that are on the field. And from everything that we’ve seen and that we’ve been told, the response was about as good and swift and quick as it could have been.”
Mostert said: I’m going to definitely be more cautious on my approach to the game and also be generous to the game and be very cognizant and responsive of what’s going on around me. I just learned today that here at Hard Rock Stadium, there’s a helicopter that takes only six minutes to [get to] a hospital if anything goes down. Those are the little things that we probably take for granted but at the same time, we need to understand and educate ourselves in that aspect.”
Dolphins players were asked how they can balance their love for football with knowing how dangerous the sport can be
“That’s a great question because I had that same incident happen with Tua Tagovailoa early on in the season,” Mostert said, referring to Tagovailoa’s frightening fall to the turf and concussion against Cincinnati.
“That play is going to stick with me for the rest of my life, as well. Just seeing how he responded and the way it happened and all of that stuff. Those things can haunt you. But as a player, I was telling my guys in the room, at one point you do have to block that out because there’s still a game that has to be played. I hate to say that. I don’t want to be that guy that says those things.
“But the reality is it’s part of the job description. That’s something I hate, but we’re all human and we all have to come forth and be creative in our own way. Maybe that’s just shutting it out completely. Maybe that’s using motivation to protect yourself even more.”
Holland, asked about how he compartmentalizes something like this with doing his job, said: “It’s not necessarily difficult. It’s just about staying disciplined. Things happen in day-to-day life every day throughout the whole year. Something catastrophic like this is very unique, and it has not happened before. It’s serious and you kind of have to face it head on but also understand that you’re also in a situation where you have to be at your best and you have to continue to play hard because if you don’t, then that’s when you risk injury as well.”
Dolphins defensive tackles Justin Zimmer and Jaylen Twyman were former teammates with Hamlin. Neither was available for comment on Wednesday.
INJURY UPDATE
Eight Dolphins missed practice: quarterback Tagovailoa (not yet in advanced stages of concussion protocol), left tackle Terron Armstead (hip, toe, pectoral injury, knee), cornerback Xavien Howard (knee injury sustained in practice last Thursday), linebacker Bradley Chubb (ankle and hand), linebacker Melvin Ingram (veteran rest day), Mostert (veteran rest day) receiver/punt receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. (hip) and tackle Kendall Lamm (ankle).
Tagovailoa is unlikely to be available Sunday, and McDaniel said Lamm is likely out. The status of the other injured players who didn’t practice remains in question. Howard, Armstead and Chubb missed the New England game.
Wilson has been the team’s primary punt returner during the second half of the season.
Also, Teddy Bridgewater was limited by a dislocated pinkie on his throwing shoulder. He was able to throw passes only a few yards, to a team staffer. Skylar Thompson would start against the visiting Jets on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox) if Bridgewater’s finger doesn’t rapidly improve.
Also limited Thursday: tackle Eric Fisher (calf), fullback Alec Ingold (thumb), Waddle (shoulder) and safety Eric Rowe (quadriceps).
▪ The NFL said Sunday’s previously announced schedule is final, with the Dolphins and Jets playing at 1 p.m. on Fox and the Patriots and Bills playing at 1 p.m. on CBS. The Dolphins need a win and Patriots loss in Buffalo to make the playoffs.
The NFL confirmed it is considering various scenarios regarding a potential rescheduling of the Bengals-Bills game that was suspended on Monday.
▪ For the second time this season, the Dolphins ping pong table was removed from the locker room. It was originally removed when the team was on a two-game losing streak early in the season before a different table was installed in early December, before the team began a five-game losing streak.
McDaniel said early in the season that the table was removed because the team captains wanted players to have more time to focus on the game. But Dolphins players have spoken about the issue only with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 5:33 PM.
