On Sunday in Orchard Park, New York, Damar Hamlin completed his NFL comeback by taking part in the opening kickoff of the Buffalo Bills’ game against the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium.
Since having a cardiac arrest on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January, the Bills safety is playing in his first NFL regular-season contest.
Inactive for the Bills’ first three games of the season was 25-year-old Hamlin. Hamlin did participate in all three of Buffalo’s preseason contests.
In April, Hamlin received final clearance to resume his football activities. By August, he was a full participant in preseason games, and he did well. In the team’s opening preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, he made three tackles in limited action, including a fourth-down tackle that resulted in a turnover on downs.
After making a tackle and sustaining a shot to the head and chest in January, Hamlin passed out. He needed resuscitation and defibrillation after losing his pulse, so medical professionals administered CPR. He spent more than a week in a hospital in Cincinnati while on a ventilator for days.
Later research revealed that Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was brought on by commotio cordis, a condition in which a severe chest injury affects the electrical charge of the heart and results in risky fibrillation (abnormal heartbeats).