Buffalo Bills running back Damien Harris had to be taken off the field by ambulance after he suffered a neck injury during Sunday night’s home game against the New York Giants in Orchard Park.
With over three minutes to go in the second quarter, Harris sustained the injury during a third down play, when he was hit by Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke after taking a handoff.
As the play ended, Harris stayed down on the ground, with players immediately signaling for medical staff to come out onto the field.
Timothy T Ludwig / Getty Images
Harris appeared immobile for several minutes. Play was halted while he was placed on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. On the broadcast, he gave a thumbs up to the crowd before being placed in the ambulance.
The game eventually resumed. The Bills later reported on social media that Harris had movement in his arms and legs. The team said was taken to a hospital for further testing.
The incident brought back memories of the cardiac arrest suffered by fellow Bills teammate Damar Hamlin on the field during a Monday Night Football game in January of last season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Hamlin, who still plays for the Bills, but was inactive for Sunday’s game, was shown sitting emotionally on the sideline with his head in his hands as the situation unfolded.
In the Jan. 2 game at Cincinnati, Hamlin collapsed after taking a blow to the chest while trying to make a tackle, causing his heart to stop. Medical staff performed CPR, restoring his heartbeat, before taking him to a hospital where he was treated for several days in critical condition. The game was canceled.
Hamlin made a full recovery and returned to the field, playing in his first regular-season game since his cardiac arrest, on Oct. 1 against the Miami Dolphins.
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