Damar Hamlin: Injured safety visits Bills, attends playoff game against Cincinnati

Hamlin, 24, a second-year player out of the University of Pittsburgh, has not been seen in public since the Bills and Bengals last met on Jan. 2 in a Monday night game during Week 17 that was halted in the first quarter, The Associated Press reported. The game was eventually canceled after Hamlin collapsed on the field, went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field.

Bills coach Sean McDermott said on Wednesday that Hamlin had been at the facility “almost daily” but was not participating in team meetings, ESPN reported. McDermott said Hamlin was taking his recovery, “one step, one baby step at a time.”

McDermott told reporters on Friday that the team was “just going at Damar’s cadence.”

“It’s what he needs and how we can help him and how our training staff can help serve him and we can serve him, and as anyone would do, we’re just trying to be there for him and walk at his pace, so to speak, play on words,” McDermott said. “But we’re just there for him and want the best for him right now. So it’s been good having him around when he’s been around there.”

Hamlin tackled Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins with 5:58 left in the first quarter on Jan. 2, The Buffalo News reported. Hamlin stood up but immediately collapsed to the turf. The Bills said that Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field.

Hamlin visited his teammates on Jan. 14 and watched the Bills’ victory against the Miami Dolphins the following day from his home.

He had been at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for nearly a week before flying to Buffalo to spend two days at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, ESPN reported. He was discharged on Jan. 11.

During the week leading up to Sunday’s game, a spokesperson for Hamlin said that the player still faces a lengthy recovery and occasionally needs oxygen, WGRZ-TV reported.