Like many others, Joe Burrow is still struggling to process what happened Monday night in Cincinnati.
On Wednesday, the Bengals quarterback spoke for the first time since Bills safety Dumar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during Monday night’s game against the Bengals. Hamlin is in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. , showing signs of improvement. announced on wednesday.
“Obviously there were a lot of emotions. It was very, very scary,” Burrow said of the experience over the past two days. “It’s not very clear. Lots of rumors, just lots of things going around. So it’s been a very emotional 48 hours. There aren’t many words you can say about what happened.” .
The gruesome scene left many of the Bills and Bengals players visibly emotional on the field, with both teams rallying around Hamlin and offering support to each other as the harrowing scene unfolded. Bills quarterback Josh Allen approached and tried to help a friend of his when medical personnel urgently tended to Hamlin.
Burrow explained to reporters what happened at that moment on Wednesday, saying, “It was clear early on that it wasn’t a normal football injury.”
“We tried to do the best we could,” Burrow said. “We went there to meet him and like you said, we tried to provide as much support as we could in a situation like that. No one wants to keep playing the game in that situation. I know how everyone would feel if it was one of our guys felt in our locker room I know how we feel Well, it was one of their guys.
Minutes after the game was postponed, Burrow made sure to express his feelings of love and support for his teammates while also serving as the team’s primary voice in an unprecedented moment on Monday night.
Burrow thanked his head coach Zach Taylor on Wednesday for how he took responsibility for the moment, adding, “I’m proud to play for a man like Zach.” rice field.
Defensive tackle DJ Reeder expressed similar sentiments about the starting quarterback.
“[Burrow] In particular, he did a great job of leading the charge for us, going there and talking to the captain and telling him that the team just came up and they love each other,” the leader said Wednesday. . I don’t talk much about macho sports or anything like that to my siblings. Especially those who ride together, sweat together, bleed together, and always break bread together. .
“So it was nice to have everyone else come in and say they really love each other, put their arms around each other, and be there for each other.
Week 18 begins Saturday, with Burrow and the Bengals tasked with trying to reset and prepare for their next game in a short week. The Bengals will face the Ravens at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday in a potential AFC North title-winning meeting.
Burrow knows from what he and his teammates witnessed Monday night that it’s not as easy as mentally moving forward. Burrow wasn’t sure when it happened.
“Personally, I think it’s tough to play,” he said. “But some people want to play, some people don’t. Personally, I probably want to play. Getting back to normal as soon as possible, as soon as possible, is how I deal with these kinds of things.” , as I said, everyone has a different coping method. ”
The NFL announced Wednesday that discussions have begun on whether to resume the Bills-Bengals game in Week 17. The league has yet to make a decision on the status of the game, but will do so in the coming days, said Jeff Miller, executive vice president of communications, public relations and policy for the NFL, in a conference call. Told.
“I think it’s going to be difficult schedule-wise,” Burrow said of exiting the game at a later date. , supporting them in deciding what to do going forward.”
