Cowboys Coach Mike McCarthy Reflects on Damar Hamlin: 'Let's Be Honest; Nobody's Fine'

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, like his colleague Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, is a proud Pittsburgher, making the sentiments regarding Damar Hamlin all the more powerful.

FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, like his colleague Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, is a proud Pittsburgher. So just as it made sense for Tomlin this week to open up a press conference Tuesday to send condolences to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest on the field Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals, it makes sense for McCarthy to reflect as well.

Said the Cowboys coach on Wednesday: "We express care and concern for Damar Hamlin, his family and his teammates ... It's a heavy, sensitive day here (at The Star) ... 

"Let's be honest: Nobody's fine.''

The Cowboys' Wednesday team meeting featured words from team chaplain Jonathan Evans and some special attention paid to Qadree Ollison and Jabril Cox, who are friends with Hamlin.

All of this sentiment comes on the heels of Tomlin revealing his personal relationship with the fallen Hamlin.

"I have a lot of love for that young man," Tomlin said. "We lifted him and that organization up in prayer.”

Hamlin, a native of McKees Rocks, Penn. - only about a 10-minute drive away from downtown Pittsburgh, where McCarthy is from - played collegiality with the Pitt Panthers, as he's a Pennsylvanian through and through.

Tomlin, who has been the head coach of the Steelers since 2007, revealed that Monday's events were "really personal" to him due to the long relationship he's had with Hamlin.

“Man, it’s a really personal thing with me, being a Pittsburgher and that young man being a Pittsburgher,” Tomlin said. “I’ve known that guy probably since he was about 12. I just have a lot of respect and love for him as a human being, his commitment to the pursuit of his goals and dreams of playing in the NFL."

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest seconds after making a hard tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins on Monday night. He remains hospitalized in Cincinnati, with his family now offering some positive updates on his condition.

The Steelers and Bills have played each other twice since Hamlin was drafted by Buffalo in 2021. In the 38-3 win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 9, Hamlin recorded seven total tackles.

Tomlin said he's shared "a moment" with Hamlin during the two recent matchups.

"We played Buffalo each of the last two seasons, and we get to have a moment," he said. "It’s cool to not only appreciate these guys and where they are now, but to know them since they were younger people and watch their development, to watch them earn what they’ve been chasing is really a cool thing. He’s an example of that."

The league announced Tuesday that the Bills-Bengals game will not be played this week and there is no timetable for a potential rescheduling. Week 18 will however be played according to schedule, with the playoff-bound Bills playing the Patriots and McCarthy's playoff-bound Cowboys at Washington.

Said McCarthy: "Really not thinking about Sunday (the game at Washington) right now. ... Our spiritual playbook is open today.''

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