Damar Hamlin’s terrifying cardiac arrest during the 2023 NFL season may have led to the NFL scrapping a possible 18-game season.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest in a Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals during Monday Night Football, after completing a tough tackle on WR Tee Higgins.
It was a scary sight, with Bills players visibly shaken seeing their teammate go through such a traumatising event.
ESPN’s Chris Berman believes Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest forced NFL to scrap 18-game season proposal
Speaking with Front Office Sports, longtime ESPN analyst Chris Berman suggested that Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest during Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season forced the league to scrap any plans to propose an 18-game season.
Given the severity of the situation and the timing of the conversations with the NFLPA, Berman believes those conversations would have been perceived in poor taste.
“All that has to be resolved with the players. But the push that might have happened while these current deals were in play – Once Damar Hamlin happened, thank god people in Buffalo and the folks in Cincinnati knew what the h*** to do – not the time to put that forward. That’s my belief. I’m sure I’m not too far off.”
“When the NFL floats stuff, it’s not a done deal by any means, but it’s a bigger magnitude than what I’m going to say. The NFL is smarter than everybody else. You didn’t hear anything about it for a couple years because you’d have to get the players and everyone [to approve], and then maybe with three years left in this TV deal, ‘Yeah, we’re having 18 games.’”
Front Office Sports attempted to reach out to both the NFL and ESPN for a statement on these comments from Berman. Both parties didn’t respond to the request for a comment.
If that is the case, these comments from Berman could jeopardise the NFL’s renewed push for an 18-game season, as players will feel it is a callous cash grab from the league that doesn’t take into consideration their safety and well-being.
Read more: