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.

CINCINNATI —

A close bond between two family members is growing stronger through the Bengals.

On Sunday, they were sent to the home playoff game for free. Now, this priceless experience is living on forever.

Lucas Lauer is a huge Bengals fan. He witnessed history on Sunday.

"To see everybody watching and then just some of the plays everybody jumped up. It was really cool," Lauer said.

Lauer and his godfather, Michael Seiter received free tickets to watch Sunday's game after a donor heard about their heartwarming story.

"I wish that every Bengals fan had an opportunity to go through that and be part of that night," Seiter said.

Lauer lost his dad, Brian, to cancer in March 2020. He's using this opportunity to make new memories with the person who's been by his side through all of the hardships.

"It was a really good bonding experience. A real surprise. I didn't think I'd get to go to a regular season game, let alone a playoff game, but it's really great," Lauer said.

"It's like a picture on the wall. It's never going to go away. I'm never going to forget it," Seiter said.

As Lauer and Seiter look back on their picture-perfect night at Paycor, one thing remains true.

"Miracles do happen and there's some really good people out there who are willing to help," Lauer said.