Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow says team has ‘mixed’ feelings about playing next game

Cincinnati Bengals players leave the field as their game against the Buffalo Bills is suspended following Damar Hamlin’s collapse.

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CNN
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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrows says he “probably wants to play” his team’s next game but also understands that others don’t in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s collapse on Monday.

Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest when playing against the Bengals, an incident which left players from both teams visibly distressed and led to the game’s postponement.

While the world waits anxiously for more updates on Hamlin’s condition, the NFL announced Wednesday that the Bengals’ game against the Baltimore Ravens is still scheduled for 1 p.m. ET in Cincinnati on Sunday.

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 09: Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills walks to the tunnel during halftime against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York.

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“We haven’t had that discussion as a team,” Burrow told reporters when asked if the team felt comfortable playing at the weekend.

“There’s definitely some side discussions about that, but that’s not where we’re at right now. So we’ve got a game to play on Sunday.”

Hamlin’s heartbeat was restored on the field as staff tended to him, the Bills have said, before he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Hamlin remains under intensive care, though he has been showing “signs of improvement” his team said in a statement Wednesday.

It is still unclear what led to the cardiac arrest. CNN has requested comment from the hospital system, which is not releasing information about Hamlin or providing interviews with his medical staff.

Joe Burrow reacts after Hamlin collapsed on Monday.

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‘Everyone has a different way of dealing with it’

Burrow, who was on the field when Hamlin collapsed, says there is no consensus within his team regarding fulfilling their next fixture.

“We have not been asked that,” added Burrow when asked if the players had been consulted about playing.

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“I’m sure if you polled the locker room there would be mixed votes on that. Personally, I think playing is going to be tough, but there’s people that want to play, too, and there’s people that don’t.

“Personally, I probably want to play. I think getting back to as normal as you can as fast as you can is personally how I kind of deal with these kinds of things. But like I said, everyone has a different way of dealing with it.”

Burrow added that the team has been preparing as usual for Sunday’s game but that it remains “a scary, emotional time” for everyone involved.

“Unfortunate as it is, we got a game to play on Sunday,” he said.

“It’s our job to get out there and execute and play the game the way that we need to play it to go and win. It is what it is.

“We’ve had discussions as a team about what happened and about where we’re at going forward and that’s where we’re at.”