(Orchard Park) Damar Hamlin convinced Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott in his attempt to return to the game after he had to be resuscitated on the field in a game in Cincinnati in January.
“If we’re just talking about the non-medical, he’s met all expectations,” McDermott said Thursday. The sampling is large enough to rule that he did well, in addition to remaining healthy. ยป
McDermott’s assessment rests on how unhesitatingly Hamlin has tackled every stage of his rehabilitation, especially since the Bills began training with full gear three weeks ago. The coach was also reassured by Hamlin’s performance in the Bills’ first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts last week.
Hamlin was involved in three tackles, including stopping Evan Hull on a fourth down and a rushing yard, as well as playing 22 plays defense in his first game since suffering cardiac arrest and being resurrected on Jan. 2 last, against the Bengals.
After that game against the Colts, McDermott called Hamlin’s performance a “remarkable example of strength, courage and faith.”
“What we just saw is remarkable,” he added.
McDermott’s endorsement of Hamlin is the latest sign that the player is on his way back to the roster as a substitute for starters Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.
The Bills have two more preseason games to play, including a big one for Hamlin on Saturday as the team travels to Hamlin’s hometown of Pittsburgh. The 25-year-old footballer grew up in the suburb of McKees Rocks and played his college football at Pitt, before being drafted by the Bills in 2021.
Several of his relatives and friends will be there to encourage him.
The Bills complete their preseason schedule on August 26 in Chicago. They will make their final cuts three days later.
