Damar Hamlin will start at safety for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday when they face the Arizona Cardinals, marking the first time he has started a game since suffering a cardiac arrest during a game on Jan. 2, 2023.
Bills Head Coach Sean McDermott made the announcement on Wednesday.
“What else can’t this young man do?” McDermott said. “He’s been through what he’s been through on the field, you’ve talked about it many times, and coming back from that — it’s one thing to come back from an ACL or a broken bone.
“It’s another thing to come back from what he came back from. Let alone decide to play football, and contact football, with full NFL-level protection. I don’t think I need to say more. It’s incredible.”
Hamlin went through a lengthy recovery process and played five games as a backup last season with the Bills. The 26-year-old former Pitt player started 13 games in 2022 before the on-field emergency against the Cincinnati Bengals.
McDermott noted Hamlin has earned the opportunity to start in Week 1 with the work he’s put in during training camp.
“I think it’s a matter of consistency and opportunity,” McDermott added. “He’s taken advantage of the opportunity that he’s had and been consistent. He’s been able to build a relationship with (Taylor Rapp), which is important at safety as well.”
Making a difference off the field since January 2, 2023
Hamlin’s near-death experience inspired him to help others. His charity, the In pursuit of the M foundationprovided free CPR training on a summer tour in 2023 and donated automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to youth sports organizations. The Bills safety also raised awareness an emotion of the hearta rare heart condition that he attributes to his collapse on “Monday Night Football,” and met with President Joe Biden to the White House to support legislation calling for increased access to AEDs in schools.
When the Bills returned to Cincinnati last November for the first time since his cardiac arrest, Hamlin met with the 10 medical professionals who helped him regain consciousness. Hamlin invited the UC medical staff to dinner and surprised each of them with a scholarship in their names.
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