Bills Make Final Decision on Damar Hamlin for Return to Cincinnati
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is ready for an emotional return to Cincinnati for the first time since he suffered cardiac arrest on the field, but this time he’ll likely be watching from the sidelines.
ESPN’s Buffalo Bills reported that the Bills will not dress Hamlin for their November 5 game against the Bengals, continuing a trend that has stretched through the majority of the season. As Schefter noted, the Bills plan to dress four other safeties and will leave Hamlin as a healthy scratch.
“On an emotional return trip to Cincinnati that will conjure many memories for the Bills, Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin is not expected to be active Sunday night vs. the Bengals, per league sources,” Schefter wrote. “This is not unusual nor unexpected, as Hamlin has played only one game so far this season, vs. Miami, when Buffalo safety Jordan Poyer was injured. With Hamlin, it’s currently a numbers game; he currently backs up Buffalo’s top four safeties – Poyer, Micah Hyde, Taylor Rapp and Cam Lewis.”
Damar Hamlin Moves Into New Role This Year
The last time the Bills traveled to Cincinnati on January 2, Hamlin collapsed on the field after taking a hard hit to the chest while tackling wide receiver Tee Higgins. Medical crews administered an AED and rushed Hamlin to the hospital, where he remained for a long stay before being released and missing the remainder of the season.
Hamlin spent the offseason recovering and going through rehab, and was able to join the team for training camp. Though he earned a spot on the final 53-man roster, Hamlin has seen a very different role this season. He started 13 games in 2022 after Micah Hyde went down with a season-ending neck injury and Jordan Poyer lost time to a series of injuries, and was second on the team in tackles at the time he suffered cardiac arrest.
