Hamlin ordeal weighs on the minds of Packers
GREEN BAY – Matt LaFleur wasn’t watching the game Monday night, but like anyone who follows the NFL, from fans to coaches and players, what happened in the first quarter was unavoidable.
When Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after tackling Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, coaches inside the Green Bay Packers offices started discussing the scene. LaFleur overheard and turned on the game, caught the replay – and saw an aftermath unlike anything he’d seen before.
Hamlin remains in critical condition after collapsing on the field and experiencing cardiac arrest at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. The secondyear safety needed to be resuscitated before being taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. LaFleur acknowledged significant injury is part of the game, but said he’d “never witnessed anything quite like” what happened to Hamlin.
“What we all witnessed Monday night,” LaFleur said, “it was a sad deal. It was very traumatic, and kind of puts what we do into perspective and how that supersedes anything in life, is just these players’ health and safety, and everybody’s health and safety. That was tough to watch. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with Damar Hamlin and his family, and the Buffalo Bills.”
As the Packers met Wednesday morning to start their preparation for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, a game the team must win to advance into the playoffs, LaFleur spoke with players about what happened to Hamlin. He said it was a “very, very quiet” room, everyone still processing the severity of Hamlin’s medical condition. He knew the situation weighed “quite a bit” on everyone’s mind over the past couple of days.
As soon as he saw the replay, LaFleur said, he had a lot of questions for Packers trainer Bryan Engel on how Hamlin’s tackle could have such devastating consequences. LaFleur invited Engel to address players in Wednesday’s morning meeting.
Then LaFleur shared his priorities with players, putting things in perspective.
“I just tried to speak from my heart in terms of just how serious, and how tough it was to watch,” LaFleur said. “You knew something was not right with the amount of time that it took to get him into an ambulance, and how often do you ever see an ambulance on the field? It definitely supersedes the importance of any kind of game. You’re talking about life.”
On Monday night, LaFleur said he texted Bills coach Sean McDermott and spoke with Bengals coach Zac Taylor. In 2017, LaFleur was the Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator when Taylor was an assistant wide receivers coach. LaFleur has previously said the two became close during that year.
LaFleur lauded the NFL for postponing Monday’s game after Hamlin left the field. He said some of his assistant coaches inquired if the NFL would postpone Sunday’s game before the league announced Tuesday it would play its Week 18 slate as scheduled. LaFleur said whatever the NFL chose on whether to play this week, he would follow its decision.
The Packers had a walkthrough practice Wednesday, a lighter format than LaFleur had previously scheduled. He said mental health services would be available after practice with Dr. Chris Carr, the team’s director of performance psychology and team behavioral health clinician. LaFleur noted additional mental health services outside the team were also available to players still processing Hamlin’s medical emergency.
At the end of this week, the Packers will play a game. LaFleur said it will be challenging to compartmentalize what happened Monday night.
“It’s not easy,” LaFleur said, “but you’ve got to do the best job you can. I think the thing about it is, I think every team is dealing with this right now. I mean, we all are. And it speaks to the brotherhood of this league, and how important these guys are to one another, and the compassion that we have for one another. Anytime you go out there and you go to compete, we play a contact sport. So that’s, unfortunately, an inherent risk – although you don’t see it. I mean, I’ve never seen it in my lifetime. It just goes to show you the risks that are involved, potentially.”