New York, New York - The NFL announced late Thursday that the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals game – suspended after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field – will not resume and has been canceled.

The news comes amid positive developments in the recovery of Hamlin, who remains in intensive care at University of Cincinnati Medical Center but has shown dramatic improvement.

"While there’s a long way to go, all signs are optimistic, highly optimistic, and point to what is likely to be a full neurologic recovery," said Thom Mayer, medical director for the NFL Players Association.

But with the postseason little more than a week away, cancelling Bills-Bengals leaves the seeding in the AFC in flux, creating potential competitive imbalances.

The NFL will conduct a special league meeting Friday to consider a resolution recommended by commissioner Roger Goodell and approved Thursday by the competition committee.

Buffalo and Cincinnati will finish with 16 games, while the other 30 teams will have played 17 each.

If the Bills or Bengals advance to the AFC championship game – and if they would have normally hosted it if their matchup hadn't been scrapped – the title game will be held at a neutral site.

"As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimize competitive inequities," Goodell said.

"I recognize that there is no perfect solution. The proposal we are asking the ownership to consider, however, addresses the most significant potential equitable issues created by the difficult, but necessary, decision not to play the game under these extraordinary circumstances."

Goodell praised the first responders and other medical personnel who successfully restarted Hamlin’s heart, including performing CPR on him for nine minutes on the field.

"This has been a very difficult week," Goodell said. "We continue to focus on the recovery of Damar Hamlin and are encouraged by the improvements in his condition as well as the tremendous outpouring of support and care for Damar and his family from across the country."

"We are also incredibly appreciative of the amazing work of the medical personnel and commend each and every one of them."