Damar Hamlin’s progress eased Chiefs players' minds against Raiders

At the opening kickoff of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 18 battle with the Las Vegas Raiders, professional football returned for the first time since Buffalo Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after making a hit against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17’s Monday Night Football matchup.

While we knew he needed resuscitation immediately, we learned little else about his condition before he was taken to the hospital. The game was postponed (and eventually cancelled) as the NFL community focused almost exclusively on Hamlin’s recovery. The Chiefs called off Tuesday’s media availability as we all waited for news — and then shared their feelings when positive word emerged about…