Damar Hamlin remains in intensive care while Bill’s teammates prepare to face New England on Sunday

The Buffalo Bills players will return to practice today for the first time since Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on Monday night as the team will now prepare to face the New England Patriots on Sunday while the 24-year-old remains in intensive care.

On Wednesday morning, the Bills tweeted that club officials will “hold meetings and a tour” with players and staff, though the team won’t face the media until Thursday.

Other teams in the NFL also canceled their media availability this week out of respect for Hamlin, including the Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It remains unclear if the Bills will release any further updates on Hamlin’s condition on Wednesday.

Bills’ safety is still intubated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Ohio and is showing encouraging signs of recovery as doctors have reduced the level of oxygen Hamlin requires from 100 percent to 50 percent.

The Bills will train for the first time since Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on Monday

Two days after his cardiac arrest in Cincinnati, Ohio, Harmin remains intubated in the hospital

Hamlin, 24, collapsed in the first quarter of Monday Night Football at Paycor Stadium

Bills players react after realizing the seriousness of Hamlin’s situation and pray for safety

Speaking outside the hospital on Tuesday, Hamlin’s uncle Dorrian Glenn revealed his 24-year-old nephew had to have his heart restarted twice – once in the field and again after arriving at the hospital. Glenn also shared these details with other outlets, including ESPN and NFL Network, further revealing that Bill’s security suffered lung damage.

“They resuscitated him in the field before taking him to the hospital and then resuscitated him a second time when he got to the hospital,” Glenn told CNN. “I just want to show my gratitude to the medical staff who were on hand because without them my nephew probably wouldn’t even be here.”

Glenn said he was watching the game on TV with some relatives in Pittsburgh when he saw Hamlin lose consciousness and fall onto the field after a tackle from Bengals receiver Tee Higgins at Paycor Stadium. He arrived in Cincinnati early Tuesday; The cities are about 300 miles apart.

“I’ve never cried like this in my life,” Glenn said. “Just to know that my nephew basically died in the field and they brought him back to life. I mean, it’s just heartbreaking.’

Hamlin’s uncle Dorrian Glenn, who is pictured, said he saw his nephew collapse on live TV

Football fans gather outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for Hamlin, Ohio

Bills fans attend a candlelight prayer vigil for player Damar Hamlin at Orchard Park, Buffalo, NY

The chilling scene of Hamlin’s collapse, which played out before a US television audience on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” has the NFL on hold and the game suspended.

League officials have yet to postpone the competition until Wednesday. The NFL playoffs begin Jan. 14, with the Bills set to enter the postseason as the first seed of the AFC East. The Bengals also earned a playoff birth by winning the AFC North.

For now, players from both teams need to focus on Week 18 of league action, although Sunday’s game between the Bengals and the Ravens has yet to be rescheduled.

“First and foremost, Bengalis continue to send thoughts and prayers to Damar Hamlin and his family. Our hearts are with everyone at this unprecedented time – we can support one another,” Bengals President Mike Brown said in a statement earlier this week.

In Buffalo, the Bills changed their social media avatar to that of Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey with the words “Pray For Damar.” The other 31 teams and the NFL quickly followed suit.

The Bills, as well as other NFL teams including the Patriots – Buffalo’s opponents on Sunday – changed their social media avatar to that of Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey

While some Bills players stayed in Cincinnati to be with their teammates, the others returned home early Tuesday when they were greeted by a handful of fans who watched in silence from the curb outside Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

The Bills took the day off and were unsure when they would be able to resume training, which put Hamlin ahead of everything else, including their quest for the AFC’s top spot.

Please pray for our brother,” quarterback Josh Allen wrote in a tweet.

Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold added, “He’s more than an athlete. He is a son and brother. And I pray that God will show mercy on him and bring him back to us.’

Bill’s QB Josh Allen asked people to pray for Hamlin and referred to him as a “brother” on Monday.

Bill’s offensive lineman Rodger Saffold tweeted that he was praying “God give” Hamlin “mercy” and “bring him back to us.”

Hamlin hails from McKees Rocks, a tough Pittsburgh suburb, and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He spent his rookie season limited to special team roles, taking the starting job in Week 3 in place of veteran Micah Hyde, who remains sidelined with a neck injury.

Overnight, Hamlin went from being a relatively unknown sophomore to an international wave of support.

His Chasing M’s Foundation has eclipsed its modest goal of raising $2,500, surpassing $5 million as of Tuesday night.

The Bills now face perhaps their toughest hurdle in a calendar year of adversity on and off the field. The team’s schedule was disrupted twice in the past month by major snowstorms, including a blizzard that resulted in at least 40 deaths in the area over Christmas. The Bills also rallied to support the community following a racist killing spree that killed 10 at a Buffalo supermarket in May.

On Tuesday, it was the region’s turn to rally for the team on both sides of the New York-Ontario border.

The Ontario-based Niagara Parks Commission announced plans to light Niagara Falls blue in honor of Hamlin.

“Our shared thoughts are with him, his family, his team and the city of Buffalo,” the commission wrote.