Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills safety who suffered a heart-stopping blow in an NFL game last January, is expected to make his 2023 season debut on Sunday against visiting Miami.
Hamlin, who played in all three of Buffalo’s pre-season contests, has been inactive for Buffalo’s first three regular-season games but the Bills on Friday ruled out safety Jordan Poyer for Sunday’s game with a knee injury.
The Bills, well stocked in the defensive backfield, now have a vacancy that should allow Hamlin to make an emotional regular-season return before home supporters, according to an NFL Network report.
Hamlin has not played in a regular-season game since January 2 at Cincinnati when he collided with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. The blow resulted in cardiac arrest, with medical workers restoring his heartbeat on the field before taking him off in an ambulance.
Hamlin, 25, was hospitalized in critical condition but improved and later was moved to a Buffalo hospital for more treatment before being dischanged on January 11.
In April, Bills general manager Brandon Beane announced Hamlin had been medically cleared to return to the NFL and Hamlin announced that was his intention.
Hamlin was back at training camp and last month made his competitive return to the NFL in a pre-season game against Las Vegas. In all, Hamlin was on the field for 73 defensive plays and 19 others on kick teams.
He made the Bills roster but was not activated for Buffalo’s start, setting the stage for what could be an emotional on-field comeback in the regular season due to Poyer’s injury.
