Cincinnati – Damar Hamlin remained in critical condition Wednesday after the Buffalo Bills safety collapsed on the field and appeared to be getting CPR before being driven off the field in an ambulance during Monday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

His uncle Dorrian Glenn told CNN Tuesday that Hamlin was still sedated after having to be resuscitated twice, but seems to be "trending upwards in a positive way."

Hamlin collided hard with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins after a pass completion, got to his feet, then fell backward a second or two later and lay motionless. He was surrounded by stunned players from both teams, and when he was taken off the field 16 minutes later, the Bills gathered in prayer.

While medical personnel were gathered around Hamlin, his uniform was cut off and he appeared to be getting CPR. He was strapped to a backboard and moved into the ambulance.

The game was suspended 21 minutes after the injury, and players walked off the field slowly.

The 24-year-old Hamlin is in his second year with the Bills. He didn’t see much playing time as a rookie but has been a much bigger part of Buffalo’s defense this season. Entering the game, the 6-foot, 200-pound Hamlin had 91 tackles, including 63 solo tackles, and 1½ sacks.

Less than 24 hours after Hamlin’s collapse and hospitalization brought the suspension of the "Monday Night Football" game, his only available public fundraiser hit $5 million, according to yahoonews.com, which added that the original goal of the fund, set up as a toy drive in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pa., was $2,500. More than 176,000 people had donated to the cause, originally set up as Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation.

Hamlin’s critical situation has brought unusual NFL soul-searching, with players such as Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa having missed multiple games on concussion protocol and due to miss another on Sunday – while some fans and commenters insist he should leave the sport altogether for his health’s sake.

There also were reports that league officials initially insisted that Monday game resume within five minutes, then backed off when coaches and players balked.

The league now says the game will not resume this week and that no decision has been made about playing it at a later date.

Several teams canceled media availability Tuesday out of respect for Hamlin.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame, meanwhile, announced Tuesday that it had postponed announcement of the 15 modern-era player finalists for the class of 2023 for at least 24 hours out of respect for Hamlin, ESPN reported. The announcement was tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.

The Hall of Fame and NFL Network, which will televise the announcement, were to meet on Wednesday to determine whether to proceed or continue the delay.