The NFL world is paused in concern for Damar Hamlin, the 24-year old Buffalo Bills defensive back who went into cardiac arrest after a routine hit in Monday night’s game with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin was transferred to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment, surrounded by friends and family.
Millions of dollars have poured in for Hamlin’s charity of choice — a toy drive organized to support his mother’s daycare service. One of those donations came from New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton and his wife JJ, paying Buffalo back in kind.
Back in 2017, Dalton led the Bengals to a critical late-season win over the Baltimore Ravens which helped the Bills get into the playoffs through a domino effect. That ended Buffalo’s 17-year postseason drought, the longest in pro sports history at the time, and spurred Bills fans into donating more than $400,000 to the Daltons’ charity, much of which they gave back to a Buffalo children’s hospital.
Sportsbook Review’s Jon Metler spotted the Daltons’ kind gesture among the many donations pouring in for Hamlin. And as noted by the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., the Daltons shared a message on social media reflecting on their family’s unique relationship with Buffalo:
The Daltons took much of the money donated by #BillsMafia then and made significant contributions to a Buffalo Children’s Hospital.
JJ Dalton noted the relationship on her Instagram story today. https://t.co/zXe8VSTgA1 pic.twitter.com/w4tmc9xtUr
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) January 3, 2023
But the real story here is Hamlin, who is still in critical condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit. His family has said they’re grateful for the outpouring of support updates will be shared “as soon as we have them.” We’ll continue thinking of Hamlin and hoping for the best for him. You can keep up with the latest developments from coverage by our team over at Bills Wire.