Mere months ago, Bills coach Sean McDermott found himself on the sideline in Cincinnati wondering if safety Damar Hamlin had just lost his life during an NFL game. Now, McDermott is showing nothing but support for Hamlin’s return to football, if that’s what the player wants.
“The best thing we can do is support him all the way through this, and that is a big piece of it that is, mind, body and spirit. It’s just not physically like, hey in the weight room, it’s the mental piece as well,” McDermott told NFL Network’s Judy Battista.
He added, “I’m ready to support him in any direction he decides to go, even if it’s last minute.”
McDermott said the team has broached the topic of both the mental and physical aspect of Hamlin’s potential comeback.
Hamlin was hospitalized on Jan. 2 after he collapsed during a Monday Night Football game against the Bengals. He was administered CPR on the field and later was sedated in the intensive care unit after arriving at the hospital. It was later announced that he had gone into cardiac arrest.
There’s no doubt that Hamlin’s very life was in danger that night—so his potential comeback obviously is secondary to his overall health. But it’s clear that if Hamlin wants to play, he’ll have all the support in the world from his coach.
