Ravens FB Patrick Ricard spoke to his colleagues after the injury sustained by Bills S Damar Hamlin.
This week in the NFL has been different than any other, and the reasons are well-known around the globe. The brutal hit taken by Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin on Monday night shook the league to its core, and Ravens players were asked for their reaction to the tragic event in Baltimore’s Wednesday press conference.
Fullback Patrick Ricard, who spoke to reporters about the incident, made it clear that the Ravens’ coaches have gone out of their way to address the team about Hamlin’s injury, and that he and his teammates have also had separate private discussions.
“[Head Coach John] Harbaugh addressed us at the start of the team meeting,” Ricard explained. “All of our coaches … At the start of the meetings this week, they all started just talking about it and just their perspective about it. It is amazing how many people have thoughts and prayers for him. Talking to colleagues, it struck me how tragic this was. It’s just tragic. It’s one of those things where you never want to see it happen to anybody, regardless of who it is [and] What sport. You just want the best for him at this point.”
Baltimore’s Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals is sure to bring up some untapped emotions for both teams in the wake of Hamlin’s injury, especially given that the game will be played on the same field where it happened. League-wide prayers and thoughts have been shared for Hamlin. On Thursday, positive updates were shared about him.