CINCINNATI —

Buffalo Bills' safety Damar Hamlin is in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field during the game against the Bengals in Cincinnati, the team said.

After making a tackle after a catch by Tee Higgins, Hamlin stood up for a brief moment before falling over onto the turf.

The 24-year-old safety was down on the turf for 16 minutes, before he was lifted on to a stretcher and into an ambulance.

The Buffalo Bills gave an update overnight Tuesday, saying Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following the tackle. The team says Hamlin's heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition, the team said.

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Other Bills' players gathered around Hamlin on the field and knelt in prayer.

“No one’s been through this,” longtime NFL quarterback Troy Aikman said on the ESPN telecast. “I’ve never seen anything like it, either.”

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After about 21 minutes, officials temporarily suspended the game until further notice. Just before 10 p.m., ESPN confirmed the game was officially suspended.

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a statement saying that the league is in agreement with postponing the game until a later date.

Hamlin, 24, spent five years of college at Pitt -- his hometown -- and appeared in 48 games for the Panthers over that span. He was a second-team All-ACC performer as a senior, was voted a team captain and was picked to play in the Senior Bowl.

He was drafted in the sixth round by the Bills in 2021, played in 14 games as a rookie and then became a starter this year once Micah Hyde was lost for the season to injury.

Entering the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1 1/2 sacks.

A tweet from the Pitt football account was simple and clear: “Damar Hamlin is the best of us. We love you, 3,” the tweet said, referring to Hamlin by his college jersey number. “Praying for you.”

Bills' player Stefon Diggs arrived at the hospital shortly after 11 p.m. to visit his teammate. Diggs and Hamlin played college football together and are huge supporters of each other's careers.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.