FOXBORO, Mass. – There was certainly an eerie feeling on the rainy practice fields outside of Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, for obvious reasons. In the wake of Damar Hamlin’s tragic injury on Monday night, the NFL approved giving both the Bills and the Patriots an extra day without media availability. New England did, however, still practice at 12:30pm on Wednesday.
Wide receiver DeVante Parker (concussion) and cornerback Jalen Mills (groin) returned to work after missing last Sunday’s game vs. the Dolphins, while Marcus Jones (concussion), Jonnu Smith (concussion), and Jake Bailey (back) were not seen on the field during the media portion of practice.
Wednesday was originally supposed to be business as usual, with Bill Belichick speaking at 11:45am, practice at 12:30pm, and an open locker room at 3:45pm. This player and coach availability has been postponed to Thursday, with team captains scheduled to speak.
The NFL announced on Tuesday afternoon that as of now, the week 18 schedule remains unchanged:
“The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organizations and the NFL Players Association.
After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week.
The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date.
The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule.
We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available.”
This situation is obviously fluid, but as of now, the Patriots vs. Bills game on Sunday at 1pm will be played as scheduled. Updates are sure to come.
With the health, safety, and well-being of Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills, and the rest of the league’s players remaining top priority, the NFL has their work cut out for them in terms of scheduling the rest of the season, especially with an abundance of playoff implications on the line.
We’ll keep you updated here at CLNS Media with Patriots currently in “win and in” mode heading into week 18, and circumstances continuing to be ironed out across the NFL and with Damar Hamlin’s tragic situation.
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