Buffalo Bills

The CPR touchdown celebration in the Madden video game franchise will be no more ... TMZ Sports has learned EA Sports is in the process of removing the animation in wake of the Damar Hamlin emergency last week.

A spokesperson for the gaming giant tells us ... the virtual end zone dance will be taken away as part of an update to "Madden NFL 23" in the next few days.

The celebration has been a popular one amongst gamers this year -- as it allowed players who scored TDs to pretend they were in need, while other avatars raced in to administer CPR in an effort to "revive" them.

Many, however, are now finding the animations to be insensitive and crass ... considering Hamlin actually needed the life-saving efforts during the Bills vs. Bengals game last Monday night.

Surprisingly, real-life NFL players didn't do away with the celebration on Sunday despite the scene in Cincinnati ... with the Pittsburgh Steelers mimicking CPR following a big play against the Cleveland Browns.

Damar Hamlin was discharged from the UC Medical Center and transferred to a Buffalo hospital on Monday ... one week after his terrifying on-field health scare.

Dr. Knight and Dr. Pritts -- the physicians who provided round-the-clock care for the Bills safety following the on-field incident -- announced the update just minutes ago ... saying they are thrilled with the improvements he's made in such a short amount of time.

The docs say 24-year-old Damar was up and walking ... and exhibiting his usual sense of humor prior to being released from the hospital. He will now go to a Buffalo facility, where he will undergo further testing.

The docs say they wanted Damar's condition to improve to "fair" or "good" before traveling ... and he met that criteria Monday morning.

As we previously reported, the Bills played in Hamlin's honor against the Patriots on Sunday ... and #3 was watching from his hospital room.

In fact, the docs say Hamlin was jumping up and down when teammate Nyheim Hines ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown ... which set off all the alarms in the ICU.

The docs say they traveled with Hamlin to the airport on Monday ... and while the development is a step in the right direction, it's still too early to discuss his football future.

"He still has a little bit of a ways to go in terms of his ongoing recovery," Dr. Knight said. "We're thrilled to where he is today. He's up, he's walking around, he's got an amazing, genuine sense of humor and his family is amazing and we're happy he's with them but in terms of any kind of conjecture to his future, that's still significantly in the future and it's gonna be up to Damar and a great team of physicians to help him."

Hamlin sent out a tweet to his supporters following the news ... saying, "Headed home to Buffalo today with a lot of love on my heart."

"Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was truly an amazing feeling."

The Buffalo Bills were ready to play football again this weekend, but they were also ready to honor their teammate, Damar Hamlin ... and they did both in equal measure.

The squad took the field Sunday against the Patriots, with a ton of players -- including QB Josh Allen -- carrying custom flags that asked people to "Pray for Damar," which also bared his official number, 3. The Bills are at home, so their crowd was completely fired up.

There were several fan-made posters with their own messages for Damar ... bottom line, everyone had the safety on their mind. And everyone paid tribute in their own unique way.

This wasn't the only nod to Damar ... before kickoff, the team acknowledged and thanked the medical staff that worked on DH almost a week ago, who undoubtedly saved his life.

On the football field, itself ... even more magic from Buffalo. Nyheim Hines caught the opening kickoff and sent back a 90-plus-yard return -- running practically all the way down the field, breaking tackles along the way, and scored a touchdown in a miraculous play.

It was a helluva way to start the game ... and you could see and hear the excitement both among his teammates and even in the booth -- where the broadcasters described it as "storybook" type stuff. Damar himself seemed to love it ... tweeting, "OMFG!!!!!!"

Speaking of Damar ... his condition continues to improve, and he was showing his guy support from his hospital bed -- posting a photo of himself with a "Love for Damar" tee, and telling the Bills it was "GAMETIME."

Eric Wood believed the Bills were destined to win the Super Bowl before the season started, but with the endless tragedies the teams endured, including Damar Hamlin's medical emergency, the former Pro Bowler thinks this is the year the Lombardi trophy finally arrives in Orchard Park.

TMZ Sports talked to Wood, who played all 9 seasons in Buffalo (2009-2017), and now serves as the color analyst on the radio (the ex-star was calling the game when #3 went down), and we asked if he believes the team's fate is to win their first ever SB.

"I do and I felt that way before the season," Wood said, adding, "The Bills started this season as the unanimous betting favorite to win the Super Bowl and these injuries have derailed some things. It's games being moved and a lot of adversity that these Bills had to deal with but in my mind, it does feel like destiny."

In May, 10 people were shot and killed in a Buffalo supermarket -- targets of a racially motivated hate crime. Team owner Kim Pegula battled health issues earlier this season. The western New York area has also been hit with multiple snowstorms, including a historic blizzard that killed at least 44 people. Dawson Knox's brother died unexpectedly. Then there's Damar. The area has been through so much.

The Bills have never won a Super Bowl. They made 4 straight between 1990 and 1993, but lost all the games.

FWIW, they won 2 AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965.

Eric believes after all the pain and suffering, this is the year the drought finally comes to an end.

Of course, the Bills are 12-3 and considered one of the best 2 or 3 teams in the league.

As for the mindset as the team steps on the gridiron again for the first time since "Monday Night Football," Wood says the message is straightforward.

Damar Hamlin's health has, thankfully, improved dramatically ... so much so, in fact, that the guy is active on social media again ... and his message is one of gratitude and thanks.

The Bills safety -- who's been receiving treatment in a hospital for several days now, following his horrifying on-field collapse -- posted to IG for the first time since the life-threatening incident. He compiled shots of himself, seemingly from the fateful day in question.

The final slide in his 4-pic post shows a quote doctors told him when he was finally awake and talking on his own. It's the "you won" line, which resonated with him.

Damar adds, "When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you 3x’s as much.. 🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾 The Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!"

His message comes on the heels of his team providing yet another encouraging update on his condition. They said he was making continued progress, but remained in critical care --noting he was breathing without assistance and that his neurological function was excellent.

This turnaround is nothing short of miraculous, considering we now know that his heart gave out ... requiring immediate resuscitation on the gridiron during Monday Night Football.

Since his injury, Damar's been receiving an outpouring of support in several different forms -- including on the charity front ... which has amounted to millions of dollars being donated to a GFM endeavor he was hosting for the holidays.

Seems he's taken notice of that and all the other well-wishes sent his way. A good sign.

A Cincinnati store that made custom Damar Hamlin shirts in the wake of the Bills safety's medical crisis tells TMZ Sports it's made $50K off the tees ... and is now planning on donating all of that cash to DH's Chasing M's Foundation.

Cincy Shirts put together three designs after the scary incident on Jan. 2 ... when the 24-year-old collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game.

One shirt reads "More Than Football" with Hamlin's #3 jersey number. Another has Cincinnati's "513" area code on it with Bengals and Bills team colors. The third is a design from a local artist that features the Bengals and Bills mascots wearing No. 3 jerseys.

Cincy Shirts co-owner Josh Sneed tells us the custom pieces are selling like crazy, both in stores and online ... and they're trying hard to keep up with the orders.

Sneed went on to say that all of the proceeds from the shirt sales will be donated to Hamlin's foundation.

"It seems no matter who needs something, this city steps up," Sneed said. "I'm lucky to see this happen time in and time out. Very proud of this city."

Sneed also delivered a box of shirts to Hamlin's family at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and to the Bengals. In fact, cornerback Cameron Taylor-Britt took a selfie wearing one on Thursday.

Chris Pronger is one of the greatest hockey defenders ever, but perhaps he's more known for his own terrifying in-game medical emergency ... the former NHL MVP suffered commotio cordis after taking a slapshot to the heart during a playoff game in 1998.

TMZ Sports talked to the retired 48-year-old NHL great about the parallels between him and Damar Hamlin ... as many physicians have theorized the 24-year-old Bills safety also experienced the extremely rare heart issue.

"I got hit with a slapshot literally right in the heart and in between beats and that's called commotio cordis where you get hit in between beats. Your heart thinks it beat so it skips one beat. Sometimes the heart restarts, sometimes it doesn't," Pronger said of the May 10, 1998 incident in Detroit.

Although he lost consciousness and collapsed to the ice in terrifying fashion, fortunately for Chris, his heart started beating again on its own. He ultimately didn't require CPR or defibrillation. Video of the incident involving Chris is here ... but fair warning, it's difficult to watch.

"I kinda get up a little bit, stumble, couple strides and then collapse to the ice. The next thing you know, I'm waking up and I got my shirt cut open, all my stuff's off. I'm looking up at the rafters and looking up at the banners in Joe Louis Arena and looking over to my right, I can see our bench -- guys are crying."

"You don't really know what's going on. You're just kinda deer in the headlights talking to the doctor."

FYI, Hamlin's physicians, in a briefing from the hospital earlier this week, have said it's too early to determine if commotio cordis or another heart issue caused the medical emergency.

Whatever the cause, we know Hamlin's heart did not restart by itself. Fortunately, the Bills medical team immediately sprang into action, saving Damar's life.

"The placement of the trainers and doctors, medical staff, they have to pay attention to the game because you never know when something is gonna happen," Pronger says, adding ... "Kudos to them for being quick to jump out there. When you see somebody fall like that you clearly know something is not right."

When Pronger collapsed in the Motor City, his parents were in the arena to watch the game ... much like Damar's mom was in Cincinnati. Chris empathizes with what the Hamlin's are going through.

"This one seems like it's a lot more critical than mine was. Very similar in the beginning but as you watch, this one plays out, you know, applying CPR for a number of minutes on the field," Chris said.

"You feel for them. It's become a spectacle for them and it's a life-or-death situation. The last thing they're thinking about right now is football. They're thinking about the human side of things in Damar's life and getting back to some sense of normalcy as it relates to just life in general."

The NFL is honoring Damar Hamlin this weekend ... making several grand gestures to support the 24-year-old on his road to recovery.

The league announced Friday all 32 teams will be encouraged to read a special message before kickoff as a unified show of solidarity for Hamlin, who remains hospitalized in the ICU.

A scoreboard graphic of Damar will also accompany the pregame tribute.

The Bills, meanwhile, revealed Friday they'll wear "3" jersey patches on their uniforms when they take on the Patriots on Sunday.

Buffalo personnel will also be donning New Era hats with the number "3" embroidered on them during pregame warmups as well.

On top of that, the NFL will allow teams to outline "3" at each 30-yard line marker in the Bills' signature colors, blue or red.

Andre Reed hasn't rocked his jersey since he retired in 2001, but the Bills legend found an incredibly worthy reason to dust off the old laundry ... the Hall of Famer wanted to show love to Damar Hamlin as he remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Reed, one of the greatest players in Buffalo history, altered his old Bills uni, crossing out the number "8" on the left, leaving just the "3" remaining ... Damar's number.

The Hall of Fame wide receiver also covered "REED" ... and replaced it with "HAMLIN".

Reed didn't just tweak his wardrobe ... he also sent a heartfelt message to the young defender.

"Keeping prayer for you, D. What else can I say, man. The whole nation is behind you, behind your family. We know you were in the dark but now you're coming out the dark. You can see the light so we're so happy for that," the 7x Pro Bowler said.

"Bills nation, Bills Mafia, everybody across the country, we're so ecstatic about the news today. We know you're gonna pull through and keep going. We love you, bro."

Of course, the news Andre's ecstatic about came from Damar's doctors Thursday morning ... when they happily reported Hamlin showed "remarkable improvement" overnight, noting he's "neurologically intact", even after his heart stopped on the field.

Despite the good news, doctors cautioned that Hamlin still has a long road to recovery.

Damar Hamlin continues to make giant positive strides -- the Bills' safety is now breathing without mechanical help just days after his heart stopped on the field Monday night, and he's even talking to his family!

The Bills tweeted an update on Hamlin Friday, writing "Per the physicians at UCMC, Damar's breathing tube was removed overnight. He continues to progress remarkably in his recovery."

Hamlin had required a breathing tube to provide him oxygen since going into cardiac arrest ... but no more, and it's a great sign.

On Thursday, two of Hamlin's doctors announced the DB had been communicating with them through writing, and even asked who won the 'MNF' game between his Bills and the Bengals.

The doctors also noted Hamlin made "significant progress" and was "neurologically intact," easing fears Damar's brain was damaged by a lack of air.

Despite Hamlin's improvement, the incident still haunts his teammates. Star QB Josh Allen said the incident keeps replaying "over and over" in his head.

The NFL has since announced they will not reschedule the Bills-Bengals game ... and could now play the AFC Championship game at a neutral site.

Multiple officials were clearly gravely concerned for Damar Hamlin in the seconds after he collapsed on Monday night ... with new audio revealing at least two first responders pleaded for "everybody" to rush to the scene.

The concerned chatter was heard on emergency radio traffic airwaves at around 8:55 p.m. ... just after Hamlin fell to the turf at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati following a tackle during the Bills vs. Bengals "Monday Night Football" game.

One unidentified official, who appeared to be on the sidelines as the scene unfolded, could be heard in the audio initially saying, "Go ahead and go over to the cot. I don't like how he went down."

Seconds later, the need for urgency became clear ... as another official said, "We're going to need everybody. All call. All call."

The first commenter then added, "Bring everybody! We need an airway doctor, everybody. Bring the cot with the medics."

As we reported, the Buffalo safety went into cardiac arrest on the field ... but, thanks to the quick actions of those who first tended to him, doctors said Thursday he's made "significant progress" and appears to be "neurologically intact."

Further audio revealed multiple other officials helped make requests over the airwaves to coordinate Hamlin's safe and expeditious ride to the UC Health Medical Center in Cincinnati.

The NFL has decided to cancel the Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game, the league announced Thursday night ... days after Monday Night Football was postponed following Damar Hamlin’s medical emergency.

The Week 17 game will NOT be made up.

Of course, the game was postponed by the league Monday night after a terrifying incident involving the 24-year-old Bills safety.

The cancellation throws a wrench into the playoffs ... as the Bills-Bengals game had major postseason implications.

In an effort to mitigate any advantage, the league has proposed several options ... including potentially playing the AFC Championship game at a neutral site, removing any home-field advantage.

The issue is the Bills-Bengals game could have determined who was the #1 seed ... important not just because that team would have home field, but also a first-round bye.

There are 3 potential scenarios where the AFC Championship game would be played in a neutral area. Those scenarios depend on Week 18's games, but it's likely a Buffalo vs. Kansas City game would be at a neutral site. There's also a chance a Buffalo or Cincy vs. Kansas City game would be played at a neutral area.

As a result of the cancelation, the Bengals are now AFC North champions.

The Bengals will play the Ravens on Sunday ... while the Bills will take on the Patriots.

Josh Allen had to fight back tears as he talked about his Bills teammate, Damar Hamlin, saying the tragic incident continuously haunts him.

"The scene replays over and over in your head," Allen said when speaking to reporters Thursday. "It's hard to describe how I felt and how my teammates felt in that moment. It's something we'll never forget."

"But to know that Damar is doing okay, and I know there's still a lot of things and stuff he has to process and continue to go through to get back to himself."

Allen called the moment 24-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest in front of an entire stadium on national television "a dire circumstance that nobody's expecting," adding you can never really prepare for a situation of that magnitude.

Josh also thanked the training staff, who he credited for springing into action and "working as a single-cell symbiote" to save Damar's life just seconds after he went down.

Allen also encouraged people to stop attacking Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, who collided with Hamlin on the scary play.

As we reported Thursday, doctors say Hamlin is showing remarkable signs of improvement as he continues to receive medical treatment in the ICU at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Dr. Knight and Dr. Pritts, two of the team of doctors assisting Hamlin, met with the media virtually and provided more details surrounding the Bills' safety.

The doctors announced Hamlin is "neurologically intact." The docs even said Damar scribbled a question on a piece of paper ... who won the game?

That simple question was music to the ears of the Bills players.

"Again, we heard that news this morning, and there's nothing that could've been told to us to bring our day down," Allen said. "We're extremely happy for him and his family."

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins says he's relieved to hear Damar Hamlin is doing better after his medical emergency on Monday ... revealing he's been in contact with the Bills safety's mom in the days following the game.

Hamlin tackled Higgins right before he collapsed on the field during the Bengals and Bills' Monday Night Football matchup ... and the former Clemson star says when he realized what was happening, he knew it was a serious situation.

"At first, me being a football player, I'm thinking he just flopped," Higgins said after practice on Thursday. "I looked again and seen what happen, I just turned my head and not think about it. I knew it was something crazy. Something tragic. It was hard."

After the game was suspended, Higgins went to the hospital to check on Hamlin ... and he's been in contact with Damar's family in the days following.

"Damar's mom hit me, texted me this morning, and told me about everything and it made me feel even more at home," Higgins said.

"I really appreciate them, just hearing from them and them having my back as well, so yeah. Feels good."

Of course, some misguided people have seemingly blamed Tee (something Bart Scott was accused of doing) for the medical emergency, so to hear Higgins say he's holding up is welcome news.

Prior to practice, Higgins appeared to gather his thoughts and reflect before running out with the rest of his teammates.

Hamlin is making serious improvements as he remains under constant care in a Cincinnati hospital ... and was even able to communicate in writing with nurses Wednesday night -- asking who won Monday's game.

Damar Hamlin's making incredible strides as he fights for his life in a Cincinnati hospital ... and nothing proves the point more than a question the Bills safety asked his nurse last night -- who won the game?

Hamlin's physicians, Dr. Knight and Dr. Pritts, from UC Health Medical Center in Cincinnati, virtually met with the media on Thursday and fielded questions about the health status of their famous patient.

The doctors revealed 24-year-old Hamlin was conscious Wednesday evening, and while he wasn't able to talk (he's still hooked up to a breathing machine), Damar, using pen, paper, and a clipboard, asked who won the Bills vs. Bengals game.

"You won. You won at the game of life," his healthcare team told Damar.

Of course, Hamlin wasn't aware the game was postponed.

As far as his current condition, the doctors say Hamlin's made "significant progress," saying they believe he's "neurologically intact."

There was fear Damar could've sustained a serious brain injury from lack of oxygen.

Knight and Pritts were also asked about Hamlin's long-term prognosis.

Joe Buck has been calling games for decades, but his booth partner Troy Aikman believes his handling of Damar Hamlin's medical emergency was the "finest moment" of his career ... saying the broadcasting legend managed the situation better than anyone else could have.

Buck and Aikman were calling the Bengals and Bills' "Monday Night Football" matchup when Hamlin collapsed on the field ... and the Hall of Fame quarterback says the entire crew -- including Disney head Bob Iger -- were working nonstop to figure out how to continue the broadcast as medical experts tended to the Bills safety.

"There was a lot of moving parts, that's for sure, as you can imagine," Aikman said on 'Dunham and Miller' on the Ticket in Dallas-Fort Worth. "It became a sports broadcast that turned into a news broadcast."

Aikman raves about how Buck maintained his poise ... saying despite the difficult task, he thrived in the moment.

"As you guys know, I've worked with him for 21 years and I've been with him in some of the greatest moments in sports," Aikman said.

"And I've seen him at his best and he's unbelievable, but I think this was his finest moment. I think he handled everything better than anyone could have -- any broadcaster. I don't care if it was sports, or news or whatever it might be."

Aikman added ... "I thought he was really good at what he was doing and broadcasting to America what was taking place and doing it in a way that he wasn't speculating or sensationalizing in any way. Not an easy thing to do."

"He and I were on the air for over an hour before we ever really did anything with it. So, there was a lot of time that had to be filled with a story that we were not getting any information on."