Bills' Damar Hamlin 'Healthy Inactive' at Jets
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will have to wait a little bit before making his return to the NFL.
According to NFL Network insider Mike Garofalo, Hamlin is expected to be a healthy scratch for tonight's Monday Night Football season opener against the New York Jets.
With Micah Hyde, Taylor Rapp and Jordan Poyer all healthy, Hamlin will sit tonight with a chance to make his official return in the coming weeks.
In January, Hamlin suffered one of the scariest medical episodes in league history when he went into cardiac arrest during the Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After being taken to the hospital several minutes later, Hamlin fought for his life in the following days.
Following the incident, though, Hamlin made a miraculous recovery in the months to come. He was cleared to return to football in April, played in the Bills preseason games in August, and most importantly of all, made the Bills' 53-man roster on Tuesday. Now that he has made the roster, Hamlin is all but a lock for Comeback Player of the Year once he does step on the field.
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Bills coach Sean McDermott has supported Hamlin every step of the way, and naturally, he was thrilled to see the safety make the cut. During an appearance on Good Morning Football recently, McDermott spoke about his admiration for Hamlin overcoming the odds.
"Yeah, how awesome is that? What a story of courage and faith," McDermott said. "Just an unbelievable amount of willpower that he's displayed, really to not only us but to the country, to the world. It's just surreal in so many ways and now we're able to have him with us here to start the season, and what an inspiration he's been to us and many others out there in how he's approached this. We can’t wait to see him play this year and watch how he’s going to help our football team win games.”
A 2021 sixth-round pick, Hamlin didn't play much in his rookie season, but became a regular starter after safety Micah Hyde suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. The former Pittsburgh Panthers safety filled in very well, accounting for 63 solo tackles, two passes defended and a forced fumble. He's now listed as a backup behind Hyde and fellow safety Jordan Poyer, but he will still have a large role to play in the defense.
Regardless of his role, though, the fact that Hamlin is still alive, let alone returning to football, is nothing short of incredible.
