Damar Hamlin FaceTimes With Buffalo Bills Teammates and Coaches

The NFL player also had his breathing tube removed on Thursday night, in another sign of positive progress.

Damar Hamlin got a chance to chat with his team on Friday -- another positive sign of progress after the 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety suffered cardiac arrest during Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bills social media accounts shared an update on Friday, writing, "Damar Hamlin FaceTimed into our team meeting today to talk to players and coaches."

His message to the team? "Love you boys."

Bills head coach Sean McDermott opened up about the call in an interview on the NFL Network, calling the moment "amazing" and "touching."

"Probably won't be able to do it justice, honestly, with words," he said. "To see Damar through my own eyes is something I've been looking forward to."

The Bills also announced Friday that the team will honor Hamlin with a No. 3 patch on their jerseys for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots.

Earlier in the day, the team shared that Hamlin's breathing tube had been removed overnight and that the young player "continues to progress remarkably in his recovery."

"His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team," the team added.

McDermott got emotional as he spoke with the media on Thursday, reflecting on the outpouring of support for Hamlin from fellow players, friends and fans.

"It's amazing to know the impact that this has had on so many people," he said. "And for now, Damar to be awake and his mom to be able to share that with him is incredible."

During the first quarter of Monday's matchup, Hamlin tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, and both men appeared to be uninjured following the tackle. However, shortly after, Hamlin appeared to stumble and collapse on the field. He was swiftly attended to by medical personnel, who gave the athlete CPR on the field before ultimately transporting him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he is currently receiving treatment.

ET spoke with Dr. Merije T. Chukumerije, a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Beverly Hills, California, on Tuesday about what could have led to the NFL star's cardiac arrest and what his chances of survival are following the scary incident. 

"What we saw was a player who had a direct impact to the middle of his chest, and this is what we consider blunt trauma. And sports is one area that we see that happen often, but we also see it in everyday life," Chukumerije explained. "So, when someone has a sudden impact or blunt trauma to the chest, if it happens at a specific part of the cardiac cycle, then that can lead to a ventricular arrhythmia or an unstable heart arrhythmia, which can ultimately lead to sudden cardiac arrest and unfortunately sudden cardiac death."

While Chukumerije said survival rates after performing CPR are fairly low, coming in at only 15 to 20 percent, Hamlin's young age is the best thing the doctor said the athlete has going for him.

"His young age is the best thing he has going for him, 'cause he actually has a better chance of survival because of that. And the fact that he's young and he's healthy. However, his young age did not have anything to do with what happened to him, and in this situation, it's likely just the bad timing of the impact to his chest, which these players put themselves at risk for each time," Chukumerije said.

"The fact that he did subsequently get CPR, and from what we were told, that he had his rhythm restored, that also bodes well for his survival, so when we see these things that happen immediately, that is when we know whether someone is going to have a positive or negative trajectory, and thankfully from what I saw, I am hopeful that he will have a positive trajectory," he added.

See more about Hamlin in the links and video below.

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