Bills safety Damar Hamlin took in the action from the sideline in the “Monday Night Football” season opener against the Jets.
The 25-year-old, who suffered cardiac arrest on the field in January, was listed as a “healthy inactive.”
The Bills made the decision official about 90 minutes before kickoff when the teams announced their inactive players for the game.
Hamlin, a backup in the Bills’ secondary, could make his 2023 season debut in the coming weeks.
Backup cornerback Cam Lewis was expected to fill the position in the Bills’ secondary.
“There are no issues and he feels great after being the Bills’ 2nd leading tackler during the preseason,” former quarterback and ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III wrote on X (formerly Twitter), citing sources close to the situation.
“Bills are prioritizing playing it safe with Damar for now.”
Damar Hamlin #3 of the Buffalo Bills in action during the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on August 19, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Getty ImagesLewis, 26, was limited in the preseason due to injuries.
Hamlin returned to the field in the Bills’ preseason win over the visiting Indianapolis Colts at Highmark Stadium in August.
He played 24 snaps and recorded three tackles.
Damar Hamlin after he suffered cardiac arrest on the field in Week 17 on January 2, 2023. Twitter/Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin #31 of the Buffalo Bills before a game against the Green Bay Packers at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York. Getty ImagesHamlin returned to the Bills as a full-time participant in practice in June — five-plus months after Buffalo’s medical staff revived the safety after he suffered cardiac arrest in the first quarter of a game against the Bengals.
The game was canceled due to the medical emergency, and Hamlin spent a week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was in critical condition and on a ventilator.
