NFL

Steelers Blasted Over Chest Compression Sack Celebration in Wake of Hamlin Collapse

A Pittsburgh Steelers player appeared to fake give chest compressions to linebacker Alex Highsmith after a sack, a celebration the team has used before but one many called insensitive in light of what happened to Damar Hamlin

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

What to Know

  • Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, collapsed on the field on Monday Night Football after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins; he was down on the field for 10 minutes and needed CPR
  • His condition has been improving. Hamlin, who was placed on injured reserve, appears neurologically intact and has been communicating with his teammates and on social media, though hospital and team staff, along with friends and family, say he still has a long recovery road ahead of him
  • On Sunday, a Pittsburgh Steelers player appeared to feign giving chest compressions to a teammate after a Deshaun Watson sack, a celebration the team has done before but one that has drawn global condemnation on social media as insensitive in the wake of Hamlin's injury

"Classless." "Disrespectful." "Trash." "Clueless stupidity."

Those are just a few of the non-profane words NFL fans are using to denounce a Pittsburgh Steelers player's apparent mock CPR sack celebration Sunday. It was a move the team has done before, but one that most condemned as lacking situational awareness in the wake of Damar Hamlin's life-threatening on-field collapse six days earlier.

Cameras didn't catch the number of the Steelers player who raced over to linebacker Alex Highsmith and appeared to give him chest compressions before helping him up after the sack of Cleveland Browns' Deshaun Watson. Highsmith himself has voiced his support for Hamlin, a Pittsburgh native, as he continues his recovery in Cincinnati, Ohio.

There was less than a minute left in the game when it happened. The Steelers didn't appear to address the controversy publicly as of early Monday. Before Sunday kickoff, though, Highsmith retweeted his team's image of both the Steelers and Browns kneeling together in united prayer for Hamlin.

Photos of the stadium also showed fans holding up signs with Hamlin's No. 3 in solidarity throughout the game.

The Steelers beat the Browns 28-14, keeping their playoff hopes alive for just a bit longer until the Bills and Dolphins quashed it by beating the Patriots and Jets, respectively.

Buffalo won in epic fashion, with Nyheim Hines running back a 96-yard opening kickoff return -- and following it up with a 102-yard touchdown return later in the game. Hamlin himself tweeted about the first one from his hospital bed.

He only needed a few letters: "OMFG."

The safety's progress has been hailed as miraculous by medical staff. He remains hospitalized, though continues to breathe on his own. Personnel at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center are expected to provide an update on Hamlin's status later Monday. The NFL honored him with league-wide tributes before the first games kicked off Sunday, and the sold-out crowd at Hamlin's home stadium in Orchard Park made theirs extra special.

The AFC East champion Bills take on their division rival, the Miami Dolphins, in Buffalo at 1 p.m. this upcoming Sunday. It's not yet clear if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who stunned the football world with a terrifying injury of his own earlier this season, will be active for that game. He has missed the last two after reporting concussion symptoms following Miami's Christmas day loss to Green Bay.

Signs indicate he is trending upward for Miami's first playoff appearance since 2016. Earlier this season, the Dolphins beat the Bills 21-19 in a last-minute stunner in September. Buffalo beat Miami 32-29 in their December game.

Contact Us