Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Damar Hamlin's return to the football field for regular season action will have to wait, and it's not related to any health issues stemming from his cardiac arrest back in January.
According to multiple reports, the Buffalo Bills are expected to make the third-year safety a healthy scratch due to a numbers crunch in the defensive backfield. Hamlin is currently listed as the fourth safety on the depth chart behind veterans Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, as well as free agent addition Taylor Rapp.
As first reported by Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, while Hamlin is not expected to be available for the Bills for their 2023 season opener on Monday night against the New York Jets, Garafolo says Hamlin could be back on the playing field in the coming weeks.
Hamlin did play in all three preseason games for the Bills this summer, making 10 total tackles and appearing like nothing was holding him back as he battled for a roster spot. The 25-year-old did make the Bills' original 53-man roster when cut-down day came and went nearly two weeks ago.
The 2021 sixth-round pick out of the University of Pittsburgh went into cardiac arrest during a Week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals last season on "Monday Night Football". This after making, what appeared to be, a routine tackle of wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of action at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
After requiring CPR and the use of an AED on the field to restore his heartbeat, Hamlin spent a week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he made remarkable progress in his recovery. After a week in Cincinnati, Hamlin was able to be transported back to Buffalo General Hospital, where he was released a short time later.
In 29 career games played, Hamlin has made 13 starts for Buffalo, registering 93 total tackles, six tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
The inactives for the Bills and Jets are expected to be announced about 90 minutes before opening kickoff.
Opening kickoff between the Bills and Jets is set to take place at 8:15 p.m. ET, and can be heard on WGR with Chris Brown, Eric Wood and Sal Capaccio on the call.
