Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin has been cleared to resume playing football less than five months after collapsing and going into cardiac arrest on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The medical clearance to resume football activities marks another milestone step in a remarkable recovery. When he collapsed on the field during the game against the Bengals on January 2, Hamlin needed life-saving medical attention on the field at Paul Bryant Stadium and then in a Cincinnati hospital.
The trauma and seriousness of Hamlin’s medical episode was such that the game between the Bills and Bengals was suspended and ultimately cancelled.
Initally, doctors were reportedly concerned that the effects of the cardiac arrest might be life-altering. But after spending several days in the hospital, the Bills safety was discharged to continue his recovery with the support of the Bills training staff.
In February, Hamlin was on the field at the Super Bowl in Arizona won by the Kansas City Chiefs alongside members of the medical teams that helped save his life. The next month, he travelled to Washington to support legislation to increase access to automated external defibrillators and took the opportunity to meet with President Joe Biden at the White House.
“Damar Hamlin’s courage, resilience, and spirit inspired the American people,” Mr Biden tweeted following the visit. “And what’s more: he turned recovery into action – and our country is better for it. It was my honor to have him and his family here today.”
Throughout his recovery, Hamlin has said that he wants to play football again despite his life nearly ending on the field earlier this year. The Bills said in a release on his status that three specialists have independently evaluated Hamlin and determined that he can play well in advance of the 2023 NFL season.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters that Hamlin is particpiating in voluntary workouts with the team.
“He is fully cleared,” Beane told reporters. “He’s here. He’s in a great headspace to make his return.”
Hamlin, 25, spent five years at the University of Pittsburgh before being drafted by the Bills two years ago. Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the team is prepared to offer him mental health support alongside the physical support he continues to recieve as makes his return to the field.
“He’s moving forward one step at a time here,” McDermott said in comments reported by ESPN. “He’s been cleared from a physical standpoint, and we’ll provide all the mental help we can from a mind, body and spirit standpoint.”
