Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills collapses in the Monday Night Game at the Cincinnati Bengals and has to be resuscitated.

The horror runs deep – even for Patrick Esume.

“That was quite a shocker. I’ve been involved in this game since 1992 – that’s a long time. But I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It makes you think, of course,” the NFL expert said on the ranNFL webshow, expressing his dismay at the horrific scenes surrounding Damar Hamlin.

The Buffalo Bills safety suffered a cardiac arrest during the Monday Night Game at the Cincinatti Bengals and had to be resuscitated. The game was not resumed as a result.

Esume: Right to call the game off

For Esume the right decision: “There is no alternative, this match has to be abandoned. I can’t even imagine what’s going on in a teammate’s mind. You know his mother, his father, his girlfriend. You think: ‘If he really dies now – what about his parents, what do I do then, can I finish the season?'”

It’s then “no longer about playoffs, the Super Bowl – none of that matters. Football’s not even an issue at that point. It’s about a young man fighting for his life”.

Currently, the 24-year-old is in hospital, still in critical condition.

Esume: “Season will go on and Bills will play “

Despite that, Esume believes, “The season will go on and the Bills will play. The motto is not ‘next man up’ – that would be wrong. But the tenor will be, ‘Now we’re playing for Damar Hamlin.’ That’s probably what Hamlin would want, too. That’s what makes football players tick.”

But teammates would need a thumbs-up from Hamlin first: “Him getting better is the most important thing right now.”

Esume thinks consequences from the NFL are unlikely – football is “just a damn dangerous sport”.

But the long-time coach believes that one or two veterans in particular will re-evaluate their situation after the season: “I don’t think anyone would want to give their life for the game. Maybe some who can afford it will say, ‘That’s it for me.'”