Bills Make Decision on Safety Damar Hamlin As His Rookie Contract Expires

He started 14 games for Buffalo this year.

Damar Hamlin prepares to take the field for the AFC championship between the Bills and Chiefs on Jan. 26, 2025. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

As his rookie contract comes to an end, the Buffalo Bills have decided to keep safety Damar Hamlin around.

Hamlin and the Bills have agreed to a one-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday. The Buffalo safety played the last four seasons on a rookie salary after he was drafted 212th out of Pittsburgh in 2021.

The extension marked yet another milestone in Hamlin's ongoing career—a subject of ongoing national interest following his harrowing entry into cardiac arrest during a nationally televised game in Jan. 2023.

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Hamlin returned to competition during the '23 season, registering two tackles in five games as he gradually increased his workload. Returning to a greater volume of action in 2024, he racked up 89 total tackles in 14 games and picked off a pair of passes.

For good measure, he also forced a fumble in the Bills' 27–25 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC divisional round.

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