Bills safety Damar Hamlin expects to play when Buffalo faces the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason matchup Saturday.
Doctors cleared Hamlin to fully participate in practice in July and the Bills said the third-year pro would graduate to game situations in preseason games.
Head coach Sean McDermott said the Bills are in new territory with Hamlin, who said he’s taking his return to the field “day at a time.”
Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on Jan. 2 during a game at the Cincinnati Bengals and was revived on the playing field by Bills training staff.
“So we’re just trying to do the best we can to be there for him,” McDermott said. “I try to keep a close eye on where he is and where he’s showing up and how he’s responding. And he’s done a great job.”
In June, Hamlin was a full participant in team drills for the first time during minicamp. Whether he’s able to establish a “normal” routine once the regular season begins isn’t clear, even to Hamlin.
“Man, sometimes it’s like normal don’t exist,” Hamlin said. “But it’s a super-blessed space. To be able to do what I love again. That’s kind of the normal thing.”
–Field Level Media