Damar Hamlin Fallout: ESPN’s Joe Buck hits back at NFL denials over game resumption in Cincinnati

ESPN announcer Joe Buck has doubled down on his claim that the NFL wanted players to resume play Monday in Cincinnati following Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s sudden heart attack.

Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations and a former NFL defenseman who played three seasons in Buffalo, denied that claim on a Monday night conference call with reporters: “I’m not sure where that came from.”

But speaking to the New York Post, Buck reiterated his claim that an NFL official told the network the game would resume after a five-minute warm-up.

ESPN announcer Joe Buck has doubled down on his claim that the NFL wanted players to resume play Monday in Cincinnati following Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s sudden heart attack

The Buffalo Bills gather as an ambulance parks on the field during CPR of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) after a game in the first quarter of the NFL Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills im Paycor Stadium is administered in downtown Cincinnati. The game was suspended in the first quarter after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) was taken away in an ambulance after a game

“They said they’re going to give these players a five minute warm up to get ready,” Buck told the Post.

Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering a sudden heart attack during Monday’s game in Cincinnati. He was injured in the first quarter after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Higgins’ shoulder struck Hamlin’s chest during the game, but it’s hard to say if that led to the Bills player’s heart attack. After the collision, Hamlin got to his feet but swayed quickly before falling onto the grass, where he lay motionless.

Troy Vincent (left), the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations and a former NFL defenseman who played three seasons at Buffalo, denied Buck’s claim on a Monday night conference call with reporters: ‘I’m not sure where that came from.’ Hamlin (right) remains in critical condition at a Cincinnati hospital

Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering a sudden heart attack during Monday’s game in Cincinnati. He was injured in the first quarter after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Higgins’ shoulder struck Hamlin’s chest during the game, but it’s hard to say if that led to the Bills player’s heart attack. After the collision, Hamlin bent down but swayed quickly before collapsing onto the turf, where he lay motionless

Shortly after, as concerned teammates gathered and an ambulance arrived, Buck told the ESPN audience that the players had five minutes to warm up before resuming play.

“The two head coaches that you can see have bonded,” Buck said, referring to Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott. “And they have five minutes to warm up.”

Buck later told reporter Lisa Salters, “Lisa, as I said, you have five minutes to quote ‘get ready’ without quotes to play again. That’s the word we’re getting from the league and the word we’re getting from down the field, but nobody’s moving.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was spotted warming up around this time.

Head coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills and head coach Zac Taylor of the Cincinnati Bengals talk during the suspension of their game following the injury to Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin #3 at Paycor Stadium

Bengals coach Zac Taylor is credited with taking his team off the field on Monday night

Despite Buck’s claim, Vincent insists the NFL has never issued such an order.

“Honestly, there wasn’t time for the players to warm up,” Vincent told reporters on Monday. “Honestly, the only thing we asked was that [referee] shawn [Hochuli] communicate with both head coaches to ensure they have the right amount of time in the dressing room to discuss what they think is best.

“So I’m not sure where that came from. A five-minute warm-up never occurred to me personally. And I was the one… communicating with the commissioner. Honestly, it never occurred to us to talk about warming up to get back into the game. That’s ridiculous. That’s insensitive. And that’s not a place we should ever be.

Regardless of current NFL guidance, it appears to have been Taylor and McDermott who decided to send their teams back to the locker room after the Bengals coach reached out to his Bills counterpart to discuss the situation.

“Such a noble move by Taylor,” tweeted Paxton Boyd, the Kentucky newscaster.

Hamlin’s family specifically thanked Taylor in a statement Tuesday.

“We want to thank Coach Taylor and the Bengals for everything they’ve done.”

Neither Taylor, McDermott nor the players involved have spoken to the media since Hamlin’s heart attack.

Hamlin’s family specifically thanked Taylor in a statement Tuesday