Damar Hamlin may have been on the sidelines during Pitt’s spring game over the weekend, serving as a second half defensive coordinator, but he will be back on the field this season.
Hamlin has been fully cleared to resume football activities and is working out with his teammates this afternoon, Bills general manager Brandon Beane announced.
“He is fully cleared. He’s here,” Beane said in the Bills’ release. “He’s in a great headspace to make his return.”
It’s been a long road for Hamlin since he suffered a cardiac arrest at Paycor Stadium during Monday Night Football on Jan. 2, but his return to the NFL is clear.
When Beane spoke to the media at the NFL Combine in February, he was hopeful of Hamlin being able to acheive that storybook return to the football field, but he wasn’t certain if it would be possible. There were still specialists he needed to see.
“I think he’s got two or three more that he’s gotta see in various parts of the country,” Beane said in February. “Our medical — we’ve had one or two guys traveling with him to see these specialists because it will be a decision for Damar, but it will also be a decision for us. We want to make sure that we’re hearing everything.”
Beane said that Hamlin saw his last specialist Friday and all three specialists he’s seen this offseason agreed that he’s cleared to resume full football activities.
Hamlin’s recovery has also coincided with a national tour, including a meeting with President Joe Biden during which he said he would return to playing football.
Hamlin recorded 91 tackles (63 solo), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in 15 games this season — starting every game in the Bills’ secondary from Week 3 onward.
In five seasons at Pitt, he recorded 275 tackles (185 solo), 10 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 21 pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Nearly five months after Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, he’s received perhaps his best news yet. He’s healthy and able to return to doing what he loves most.
