It’s impossible to follow the NFL and not know the story of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. In the weeks following Hamlin’s near-death experience, football was the farthest thing from everyone’s mind. Now, just over four months later, Hamlin is ready to resume the game he loves.
Damar Hamlin Cleared for Football Activities
Jan. 2, 2023, is a day football fans will never forget. Monday Night Football is always a highly watched spectacle. But this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill MNF game. There was so much riding on this contest between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was Week 17. Both teams had clinched a playoff spot, but they were still jockeying for position in the AFC. Home-field advantage was very much on the line.
It was also the final week of the fantasy football season. Championships were about to be decided, and we had two of the most fantasy-friendly offenses in the NFL taking the field. There were a lot of people caring about a lot of things.
Then, Tee Higgins caught a 13-yard pass that would change everything. After making the reception, Higgins collided with Hamlin in what looked like a relatively innocuous hit. Both players went down. Both players immediately popped back up.
However, in a truly terrifying sight, after standing back up, Hamlin promptly collapsed back down. No one knew at the time how serious things would become.
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After ESPN went to commercial for a second time and nothing had changed on the field, everyone knew the situation was serious. While we didn’t know exactly what had happened, it was easily the longest injury delay I’ve ever seen.
Fantasy football quickly faded into the background. The outcome of the game became irrelevant. Football fans quickly reached the conclusion that there was no way these players could be asked to continue the game. And none of it mattered. We just wanted to know what happened to Damar Hamlin and if he was going to be okay.
We didn’t get those answers for quite some time. Step one was making sure Hamlin survived going into cardiac arrest. Step two was hoping he could just live a normal life.
Now, four months later, doctors have fully cleared Hamlin to resume football activities. It’s a truly remarkable story and a remarkable recovery by a remarkable human being.
Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane Provides Update on Damar Hamlin
On Tuesday, April 18, Bills general manager Brandon Beane spoke on Hamlin’s situation. “Since then, he’s seen three additional specialists, most recently on Friday, and they’re all in agreement. It’s not 2-1 or 3-1 or anything like that. They’re all in lockstep on what this was, and he’s cleared, resume full activities, just like anyone else who’s coming back from an injury.”
While training camp is still a few months away, the Bills are scheduled to begin OTAs on May 22. There’s a very good chance Hamlin will be in uniform and fully participating in those activities.
Bills fans and football fans, in general, can expect to see Hamlin take the field in the 2023 season. I would expect nothing short of a loud standing ovation for Hamlin when he first steps on the field for the Bills’ Week 1 contest in September.
