Bills say Hamlin showing ‘signs of improvement’

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains hospitalized in critical condition but showed “signs of improvement” that were observed Tuesday and overnight into Wednesday, according to the team.

The Bills said Wednesday in a statement that Hamlin “is expected to remain under intensive care as his health care team continues to monitor and treat him.”

Jordon Rooney, a friend and business partner of Hamlin’s, told ESPN’s Coley Harvey earlier Wednesday that Hamlin was still sedated at the time, less than two days after he went into cardiac arrest on the field during the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rooney told Harvey that doctors saw promising readings overnight from Hamlin that they had hoped to see by Wednesday morning. Hamlin’s agent, Ron Butler, told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday night that Hamlin’s oxygen levels had improved.

Rooney’s update came after Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told numerous media outlets Tuesday night that there were some encouraging signs in his nephew’s progress, such as doctors lowering the level of oxygen Hamlin needs from 100% to 50%.

CPR was administered to Hamlin, 24, on the field Monday night for multiple minutes after he collapsed following his tackle of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin received oxygen, according to the ESPN broadcast, as he was placed in the ambulance and taken off the field some 16 minutes after he collapsed. He then was driven to the hospital.

The Bills began their practice week on Wednesday with a walk-through and team meetings. They later made a roster transaction to help the safety group that will be without Damar Hamlin, signing Jared Mayden off the New York Jets practice squad and releasing veteran cornerback Xavier Rhodes in a corresponding move. Mayden also spent time on the Bills practice squad earlier this season.

Colts rookie safety Rodney Thomas, a close high school friend of Hamlin’s who refers to him as “a brother,” made a desperate 112-mile drive to Cincinnati from Indianapolis late Monday night and was able to get some comfort after visiting Hamlin’s hospital room.

“For me it, it definitely calmed me down, just being able to get eyes on him,” Thomas, a seventh-round pick from Yale who has made nine starts, said Wednesday. “Being away, it’s like, ‘What’s going on?’ I just wanted to go there. I just wanted to be there, and I just wanted to get an understanding of what was going on.”

Thomas touched Hamlin’s hand and left him with a message.

“Just letting him know I was there,” Thomas said. “I don’t know if he could hear me. But I just talking to him, [I said] ‘I know you can hear me. Even if you can’t, it doesn’t matter.'”

The NFL announced Tuesday that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week, and the league is undecided on resuming the game at a later date. The NFL has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular-season schedule.

ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg and Stephen Holder contributed to this report.