After witnessing a near-death experience in January, the Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin was not expected to resume his promising career in the NFL anytime soon. However, the youngster shocked many by heading to the field to participate in the team’s spring voluntary sessions on May 22, albeit he was limited to taking part in individual drills back then.
Though Hamlin enjoyed his first full drills session on May 31, his potential comeback was on the rocks until the Buffalo team practiced in pads in training camp. Nevertheless, he passed this hurdle too by participating in the Bills’ first session in pads two weeks ago and now looks ready to play his first snap of the upcoming NFL season.
Damar Hamlin reported to make NFL return against Colts
After heading to the field donning Buffalo’s jersey, Damar appears all set to grab one of the backup spots behind Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. The team is expected to decide their final roster on August 29 following two more preseason games, albeit the safety doesn’t want to peek too far ahead.
“Trying to look forward, it just creates a lot of anxiety, a lot of unnecessary feelings. If you stay in the moment, it allows you to process it when you’re there.”
Comeback completed – #Bills Safety Damar Hamlin "Scheduled to play" in Saturday's preseason Week 1 against #Colts, according to the team.
First game for Hamlin’s since collapsing on the field against the #Bengals on Jan. 2.
"This is to some extent uncharted territory for me as… pic.twitter.com/vmmebsw1Pa
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 11, 2023
Buffalo’s coach Sean McDermott didn’t shed any light on the footballer’s comeback and instead revealed their intention to take a “day at a time” approach to his playing status on Thursday. However, McDermott later clarified Damar’s comeback
“This is to some extent uncharted territory for me as well, and all of us. So we’re just trying to do the best we can to be there for him. I try to keep a close eye on where he is and where he’s showing up and how he’s responding. And he’s done a great job.”
The third-year player is now set to play in the preseason opener game this weekend against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, August 12. He recorded 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and two more passes defended while tallying 91 tackles, including 63 solo as well as 28 assisted tackles throughout his 15 games with Buffalo.
What happened to Damar Hamlin during his last match vs Bengals?
In the Week 17 of the 2023 NFL regular season in the Bills vs Cincinnati Bengals Monday night matchup, Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest after tackling Tee Higgins who was running with the ball on a 13-yard pass. Higgins unintentionally hit the Bills star in the chest while leading with his right shoulder, leading the safety to fall backward and lay motionless within a few seconds.
The 25-year-old reportedly suffered commotio cordis after facing a hard hit to the chest that led to sudden cardiac arrest. Buffalo’s medical team quickly headed to the field along with a stretcher and ambulance to perform CPR. His teammates and many spectators were standing numb and some were in tears while the player was eventually taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The game was postponed and later canceled.
Hamlin survived and now as the 2021 Draft is expected to continue his promising career, his phenomenal comeback journey could serve as a source of inspiration for many future athletes to come.
