‘Pray for Damar’ NFL teams unite for tribute

WASHINGTON — All 32 NFL teams have joined together for a social media tribute to Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin, who remained in critical condition Tuesday after his heart stopped during Monday Night Football.

One-by-one, each NFL team, along with the league and the players association, updated their respective Twitter profile pictures to feature the words “Pray for Damar,” in the style of Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey. 

The Bills’ safety suffered cardiac arrest after making a tackle in Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After CPR was performed on the field, he was rushed to the hospital and the team announced Tuesday that the 24-year-old Hamlin spent the night in intensive care and remained in critical condition.

His family issued a statement expressing gratitude for the outpouring of support, while also asking everyone to keep Hamlin in their prayers. 

RELATED: Bills provide update on Damar Hamlin’s condition

Here are some of the NFL team tributes: 

Cincinnati Bengals 

It’s unclear what caused Hamlin’s cardiac arrest. As an NFL player, he regularly exercises and eats healthy meals, so it is unlikely to have been caused by some of the common risk factors such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. 

It’s possible Hamlin suffered a condition known as “commotio cordis,” which is an injury associated with blunt-force trauma to the heart. Although infrequent, it can cause sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes. According to the National Library for Medicine, the condition is usually caused by a hard strike during physical activity. 

The condition only happens during a rare set of circumstances: when a sharp hit lands directly over the heart “at the exact wrong location at the exact wrong timing” during the heart’s rhythm cycle, said Dr. Rod Passman, director of the center for arrythmia research at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.