Bills safety Damar Hamlin is present but not participating in 1st days of voluntary practices
The Buffalo Bills are taking it slowly with safety Damar Hamlin, who is being held back from participating in the team’s first few days of voluntary practices some five months after having a near-death experience on the field
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Buffalo Bills are taking it slowly with safety Damar Hamlin, who is being held back from participating in the team’s first few days of voluntary practices some five months after having a near-death experience on the field, coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday.
“We’re taking it one day at a time,” McDermott said when asked of Hamlin’s status, while noting the player is present at the facility. The coach otherwise did not provide any timetable as to when Hamlin can begin on-field sessions a month after being cleared to resume his NFL career.
The 25-year-old Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field after making what appeared to be a routine tackle during the first quarter of a game at Cincinnati, and being broadcast to a national prime-time audience on Jan. 2.
Saying his heart was still in the game, Hamlin announced his NFL comeback a little over a month ago after being cleared to play by the Bills and several independent specialists. Not wanting to give into fear and concern, Hamlin said there was little chance of the episode recurring in revealing specialists agreed his heart stopped as a result of commotio cordis, which is a direct blow at a specific point in a heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest.
“This was a life-changing event, but it’s not the end of my story,” Hamlin said last month.
With his focus now on resuming football, Hamlin's next steps will be no different from any other NFL player in his bid to secure a roster spot entering his third season. The Bills have two more weeks of voluntary practices before opening a mandatory minicamp in mid-June, followed by training camp opening in late July.
Hamlin’s recovery has been called remarkable by doctors who treated him. He spent the first few days of his recovery in a medically induced coma at the University Cincinnati Medical Center. His motor and cognitive skills quickly returned and he spent 10 days in hospitals in Cincinnati and Buffalo before being released.
Hamlin’s collapse led to an outpouring of support from around the NFL and across North America, with donations made to Hamlin’s charitable organization topping more than $9 million. And his recovery has been celebrated, with the player honored by the NFL, the NFL Players Association and most recently being selected by the Professional Football Writers of America as winner of the George Halas Award, which is given to an NFL player, coach or staff member who overcomes adversity to succeed.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL