Not a single person from the NFL universe expected “Monday Night Football” to go down the way it did- from being one of the most hyped games of the league to becoming the most sorrowful event of this season- the accident of Damar Hamlin has shocked everyone including Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
It all started on Monday when the Buffalo Bills took on the Cincinnati Bengals- the game was going smoothly, with the Bengals leading the game with a 7-3 margin, when all of a sudden, something happened, and the game had to stop. People were going nuts until they learned about the cardiac arrest of Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin which left everyone traumatized.
If the game went on without any interruptions- which did not happen- fans would have talked about the thrilling event. However, as things are right now, fans, including players, can hope everything is alright with Hamlin and he recovers swiftly. Along with multiple other players, the QB of the Packers, Aaron Rodgers, shared his thoughts regarding the incident with Damar Hamlin.
What did Aaron Rodgers say?
"All of our thoughts and prayers are with Damar Hamlin and his family right now" ~@AaronRodgers12#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/C2yJdFE5DN
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 3, 2023
Who does he give credit to?
While Rodgers spoke to the Pat Mcafee Show, the quarterback was quick to praise both the Bills team and the coach of the Bengals-
“I think one person who deserves a lot of credit in this situation is Coach Taylor.”
“I saw him walk across the field, and just the empathy that I saw in his face and the way he handled that thing.”
Aaron added, “We can second guess the NFL and all the decisions afterward but I don’t know had it not been for Zach and coach McDermott coming together would they have not gone in the locker room and tried to play because playing at that point was not even close to important as this young man’s life.”
What does he suggest?
To solve such issues, Aaron came out with some versatile solutions as he went on to say,
“I think as men sometimes, we’re so conditioned maybe to suppress everything, to just put on a good face and, ‘We’re going to tough through this.’ I don’t really think that’s the approach.”
“I think it’s to talk about the mortality of this game, talk about the risks involved, talk about how that brings us together and that bond that we have is so special because we know that these kinds of things could happen – you don’t ever think they’re going to.”
“But I think having a forum where we can talk about our mortality in this game and what we go through to play it and what we put on the line post-career as well.”
What message did he send to fans?
While many fans are complaining about the game- when will the game resume- Rodgers sees the incident as horrifying and suggests everyone take a “timeout.”
“I was shook up. Still am feeling weird about it cause I think it’s your football mortality just comes right face to face because one of your brothers in the fraternity of the NFL is fighting for his life right now.” Aaron said.
“I don’t think you just gloss it over like, ‘Oh, on to the Sunday Night Football to play in [a] game for the playoffs.’… Let’s just take a little timeout here. Let’s remember what’s really important.” he added while explaining the situation.
And finally, he says, “Hug your loved ones, text the people you care about, and tell them you love them because this is a good moment to pause and contemplate and reflect and show some empathy and respect for not just Hamlin but for every player that laces them up.”
We all hope Hamlin goes through a swift recovery and returns with a bang; till then, stay tuned.
