Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin to make first start since cardiac arrest in 2023

Bills safety Damar Hamlin will start for the team in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo announced Wednesday.

It will be his first start since suffering a cardiac arrest on the field in January 2023.

“What else can’t this young man do? He’s basically been through what you guys have been through on the field, and you’ve written about it before, and to come back from that,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday. “It’s one thing to come back from an ACL injury or a broken bone. It’s another thing to come back from what he came back from, right? Let alone to decide to play football and play contact football in full protection at the NFL level. I don’t think I need to say anything more. It’s unbelievable.”

Hamlin suffered an episode of commotio cordis during the Bills’ Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, 2023, a condition in which the heart rhythm is disrupted after a blow to the chest. After tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Hamlin stood up, passed out, and fell backward. His heartbeat had to be restored on the field before he was taken to the hospital.

Hamlin was cleared to play football in April 2023.

Last season, he appeared in three preseason games and five regular season games for the Bills, recording two tackles. During Buffalo’s Divisional Round playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Hamlin took a direct snap on a fake punt attempt in the fourth quarter but failed to convert a first down.

The Bills underwent significant changes in the secondary this offseason. Their previous starting safety duo of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer was split, as Hyde is a free agent while Poyer signed with the Miami Dolphins.