Damar Hamlin is set to add another episode to his remarkable story as he is expected to make his 2023 season debut on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the safety could be back on the field this weekend.

The opportunity for Hamlin to join the team’s 53-man game day roster has surged due to starting safety Jordan Poyer being ruled out because of a knee injury. Taylor Rapp is likely to start opposite Micah Hyde for the significant divisional matchup, but he will serve as valuable emergency depth.

While Sunday’s game marks Hamlin’s official return to action, he did participate in all three of the Bills‘ preseason games. However, he was inactive for Buffalo’s first three regular-season games, primarily because they boast one of the deepest secondaries in the league.

Damar Hamlin’s Incident

Hamlin’s journey back to playing in a regular-season game is remarkable, considering the cardiac arrest he suffered on January 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 17 of the previous season, he collided with wide receiver Tee Higgins during a play, resulting in the commotio cordis that led to his cardiac arrest.

CPR was administered to Hamlin on the field, and he was transported by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati in critical condition. He remained hospitalized there for about a week before being transferred to Buffalo, where he underwent further treatment and was finally discharged on January 11.

Shortly afterward, Hamlin began his inspiring comeback. He was cleared for football activities in April, participated in team drills in June, and was a full participant in August’s training camp, leading to his preseason debut. Then he received the Alan Page Community Award for his community service.

How Old Is Damar Hamlin?

Damar Hamlin is 25 years old.

The 24-year old was hospitalized after he collapsed on the field at Paycor Stadium following a tackle to wide receiver, Tee Higgins. His heartbeat had to be restored on site before he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Those first days were critical as he was treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The big question was if Hamlin would return to the NFL. Now, the safety just played his first game with the Bills against the Indianapolis Colts.

Damar Hamlin is back with the Bills after cardiac arrest

Damar Hamlin played his first game with the Buffalo Bills after suffering a cardiac arrest eight months ago. The safety took the field at Orchard Park in Week 1 of the preseason against the Indianapolis Colts.

“When I’m feeling those nerves and I’m feeling those emotions, it just means I really love this. I love this, like, I want to be here. I want to play. I want to do good. I want to be one of the greats. I want to be remembered as somebody who stood for something and who made a difference when I was out there on the field.”

Head coach Sean McDermott couldn’t hide his emotions. “It’s a true sign of a young man’s courage and obviously everyone who helped him get to this point. I know there was a football game going on out there today, but I mean truly remarkable display of courage and strength and faith. I think that shows a lot about who he is.”

Paycor Stadium witnessed one of the most frightening moments in NFL history when Tee Higgins, wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals, clashed with Damar Hamlin in what seemed to be a normal play. However, the safety immediately fell to the ground and everyone started worrying about him.

Fortunately, Hamlin was able to recover, but obviously his 2022 season was over. Ahead of the upcoming campaign, the safety has revealed his plans and his decision has the entire league in shock.

Damar Hamlin announces shocking plan after on-field collapse

The game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals of the 2022 regular season will always be remembered. The match was suspended due to Damar Hamlin suffering acommotio cordis, which is a cardiac arrest produced by a stronghit.

The American Heart Association establishes that the commotio cordis is“an extremely rare, serious medical condition that can happen after a sudden, blunt impact to the chest. If the physical blow hits during a narrow window in the heart rhythm, it can disrupt the heartbeat and cause sudden cardiac arrest.”

However, this condition won’t stop Damar Hamlin’s plans. The safety has revealed he has been working to play the 2023 campaign as he has been fully cleared to return to football activities.

“I’m thankful and blessed,” Hamlin said at a press conference Tuesday. “I’m blessed to have wonderful trainers here who treat me with the love and care as if I were their own children. … This event was life-changing, but it’s not the end of my story. I’m here to announce that I plan on making a comeback to the NFL. The diagnosis of what happened to me was basically commotio cordis. It’s a direct blow at a specific point in your heartbeat that causes cardiac arrest, and five to seconds later you fall out. That’s what everyone has seen back on January 2nd of this year. commotio cordis is the leading cause of (death for) athletes across all youth sports, so that’s something I will be taking a step in to make a change. The awareness around CPR and the access to AEDs have been lowering that number as well.”

Damar Hamlinis been treated at theUniversity of Cincinnati Medical Center. The 24-year old was hospitalized on Monday when he collapsed on the field atPaul Brown Stadiumafter tacklingBengalswide receiver,Tee Higgins. His heartbeat had to be restored on site before he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Just four days later, Damar Hamlin finally spoke to his teammates. Read here to find out all the details about the emotional episode lived by the Buffalo Bills prior to their Week 18 game against the New England Patriots.

‘Love you boys’: Damar Hamlin on FaceTime with the Bills

In the latest update, the Buffalo Bills confirmed on Friday that Damar Hamlin’s breathing tube was removed.”Per the physicians at UCMC, Damar’s breathing tube was removed overnight. He continues to progress remarkably in his recovery. His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team.”

Now, by breathing on his own, Damar Hamlin was finally able to speak with his teammates via FaceTime. “Damar Hamlin FaceTimed into our team meeting today to talk to players and coaches. What he said to the team: Love you boys.”, was the message on Twitter by the Buffalo Bills after the great episode.

Damar Hamlin is been treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The safety was hospitalized on Monday when he collapsed on the field at Paul Brown Stadium after tackling Bengals wide receiver, Tee Higgins. At that time, in one of the first reports about his health, the Bills confirmed that his heartbeat had to be restored on site before he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Now, with all the caution required by the situation, the Buffalo Bills gave good news about the health of Damar Hamlin in the most recent update. Read here to find out all the details in the latest medical report from Cincinnati.

What is the status of Damar Hamlin’s health?

This morning, the Buffalo Bills gave a new updateabout the condition of Damar Hamlin. “Per the physicians caring for Damar Hamlin at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Damar has shown remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours. While still critically ill, he has demonstrated that he appears to be neurologically intact. His lungs continue to heal and he is making steady progress. We are grateful for the love and support we have received.”

Lamar Hamlin’s agency also published a statement on Thursday. “The outpouring of support for Damar across the nation has been amazing. Thank you for the calls, messages, and emails. Damar has made substantial improvement overnight. We are so thankful for all of the first responders, doctors, and hospital staff and every one who has played a role in this process. Please continue to pray for Damar and we will provide updates as they are available.”

Prior to thoseofficial messages, Bills’ cornerback, Kaiir Elamn, also shared information of his teammate. “Our boy is doing better, awake and showing more signs of improvement. Thank you God. Keep the prayers coming please. All love 3!”

The National Football League decided to postpone the game until further notice, as Hamlin’s health is all that matters right now. And while he’s showing signs of promise, he’s still in critical condition.

That’s why Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin took some time out of his press conference to address this situation, as he’s known Hamlin since he was just a middle school kid with dreams of making the NFL.

NFL News: Mike Tomlin Says Damar Hamlin’s Condition Is A Personal Matter To Him

“I’ll say this about Damar Hamlin: It’s a really personal thing to me, being a Pittsburgher and that young man being a Pittsburgher, I’ve known that guy probably since he was about 12,” Tomlin said, per ProFootballTalk. “I’ve just got a lot of respect and love for him as a human being, his commitment to the pursuit of his goals and dreams of doing what he is right now, which is playing in the NFL. To watch him make personal decisions, and make that a realization, it’s just an honor to get to know young people like that.

“I’ve had an opportunity to express that to him whenever I see him,” the coach added. “We’ve played Buffalo each of the last two seasons and he and I had a moment because it’s just cool to not only appreciate these guys in terms of where they are now but to know them since they were younger people and to watch their maturation, their development, to watch them earn what they’ve been chasing, it’s really a cool thing, and he’s an example of that. I’ve got a lot of love for that young man. I’ve lifted him and that organization up in prayer. I’ve reached out to Sean McDermott to lend whatever assistance I could. But I don’t have a lot to add other than that. I just respect the fact that you guys appreciate how personal it is for me, not only for me, but for all of us.”

Hopefully, this will be nothing but an incident and Hamlin will be out of danger sooner rather than later. We’re all rooting for him.