This article was evidently written by someone who takes themselves too seriously (and also isn’t a sports fan). There are lots of legitimate criticisms about the NFL, but cardiac arrest during athletics is something that happens in basically every sport. Running, swimming, soccer, basketball, motorsports, hockey, etc. You can find many examples of these including at the professional level.

This is yet another stupid self-righteous “story” to make the reader feel better than other people by shaking their fists at the clouds.