Taylor, who visited Hamlin’s family and friends in the hospital, said he could not provide any updates on Hamlin’s status, but “everyone hopes for the best.”
“Certainly we’re pulling for Damar,” Taylor said. “Hoping for the most positive outlook and looking forward to him seeing all the support he’s getting from his team, his community, people around the league, his family. That will be a great day when he’s able to see that.”
Head Coach Zac Taylor speaks to the media.
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 4, 2023
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The Bengals are now trying to turn their attention to Sunday’s game at Baltimore, but with Hamlin still in mind. Taylor said team chaplain Vinny Rey, a former linebacker for Cincinnati, has been instrumental in helping make sure players are OK mentally after witnessing such a traumatic event, as the coaches, players and staff navigate an “unprecedented situation.”
The league still has not announced a time for Sunday’s regular-season finale, slotted for either 1 p.m. or 4:25 p.m., but Taylor said getting ready to play again is part of the job the players and coaches signed up for.
Asked how he would handle any players expressing concern about playing Sunday, Taylor said that would be something to address if it came to that. He was expecting all of his players to be in the building Wednesday as the team resumes meetings and conducts a walk-through later in the afternoon.
This story will be updated with more information.
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