Damar Hamlin has shown 'remarkable improvement,' Bills say

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has shown "remarkable improvement" over the last 24 hours, his team said Thursday. He is still in critical condition but is now awake, seemingly neurologically intact, and able to "grip the hands of family members at his hospital bedside," ESPN summarizes per Hamlin's agent, Ronald Butler.

"Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours," Buffalo tweeted Thursday morning. "While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress. We are grateful for the love and support we have received."

The promising update comes one day after the Bills said Hamlin was showing "signs of improvement" but was expected to remain under intensive care. On Monday, the 24-year-old went into cardiac arrest on the field at Paycor Stadium during what was regarded as a crucial playoff matchup against the Bengals.

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Hamlin's father, Mario, also addressed the Bills team on Wednesday, similarly alerting players that his son was "making progress" following his collapse, Fox News reports Thursday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The larger sports world has rallied behind the safety in the days since the incident, in one instance catapulting his charity toy drive from its original $2,500 goal to over $6 million. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford are among some of the GoFundMe's higher-profile benefactors, CBS News reports.

The NFL, which postponed the Bengals-Bills' match-up in the wake of Hamlin's injury, announced Tuesday that the game would not be rescheduled for this week. Buffalo is otherwise scheduled to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, "the final weekend of the NFL's regular season," per Fox News.

Update 12:30 p.m.: This story has been updated throughout and in the headline to reflect news on Hamlin's condition.