One year ago, Damar Hamlin watched his Buffalo Bills go on without him in the playoffs from a press box suite. Buffalo aimed to play inspired football after watching Hamlin’s horrific cardiovascular episode in Week 17 by honoring No. 3.
Now, is Hamlin going to suit up vs. a bitter postseason rival of the Bills in the Kansas City Chiefs?
Update on Damar Hamlin’s Playing Status in Divisional Matchup
Update 01/21/24: Damar Hamlin is officially active for tonight’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Hamlin is anticipated to become available for the highly anticipated battle at Highmark Stadium in Western New York.
Following his scary moment in Cincinnati, the Bills have limited Hamlin’s snaps. The safety only comes in when there’s a key injury at his position.
This doesn’t mean Hamlin stands on the sidelines for all four quarters.
The Bills have trusted Hamlin on their special teams units. Buffalo gave him 94 total plays outside of defense during the regular season. He managed to etch out 17 defensive snaps. In total, the Bills threw Hamlin out on the field for five games.
Sunday also won’t be his playoff debut. He helped the Bills to their 31-17 romp over the Pittsburgh Steelers in limited action.
Hamlin got involved in 17 different special teams snaps in the Wild Card win. In addition to running down on the field on punts and kickoffs, Hamlin was rewarded 13 defensive plays once the game was out of reach for Pittsburgh.
Has Hamlin Felt Effects of Commotio Cordis Since Devastating Day?
One of the feel-good stories of the NFL is witnessing Hamlin’s miraculous return from his frightening ordeal against the Bengals.
Hamlin absorbed a shoulder-to-chest hit from Tee Higgins. After Hamlin got up from the hit, he stumbled to the ground and lay motionless. The game was eventually called off out of respect for Hamlin.
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The former Pittsburgh Panthers star managed to overcome his cardiovascular ailment and was eventually discharged from the hospital in less than two weeks. Doctors revealed that Hamlin had suffered commotio cordis, which affects the breathing of the lungs after absorbing physical contact.
Hamlin’s moment helped bring the nation together and sparked a new debate on the importance of CPR and having an AED device nearby. Hamlin has since become an activist for having the latter.
More importantly for Hamlin, he has not been hit with any lingering effects of commotio cordis. The safety has managed to keep himself healthy throughout the entire 2023 season.
His trek back to the field has made him one of the heavy favorites to earn the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year award. Even though Hamlin is a nonstarter, he’s become inspirational to many football fans for his return to action after that fateful January 2023 night.
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