ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is “cleared to resume full activities” just over three months after he suffered cardiac arrest mid-game, according to general manager Brandon Beane.
Beane said Hamlin is participating in Bills voluntary workouts this week, after the 25-year-old visited his final of several specialists on Friday. All of the specialists agreed Hamlin is cleared to resume full activities.
“This event was life changing, but it’s not the end of my story. So I’m here to announce that I plan on making a comeback to the NFL,” Hamlin told reporters in his first local press conference since he suffered cardiac arrest.
“I mean, it’s something I want to prove to myself, not nobody else. I just want to show people that that fear is a choice, that you can keep going at something without having the answers and without knowing what’s at the end of the tunnel. You might feel anxious, you might feel any type of way, but you just keep putting my right foot in front of the left one, and you keep going. I want to stand for that.”
Hamlin collapsed on the field on January 2 in the middle of the Bills Week 17 game in Cincinnati before he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The game was eventually canceled.
“He’s such a great kid. Such a great family. It’s exciting to go from a guy who was fighting for his life who is now, the story hasn’t been written. It’s now about the comeback,” Beane said.
“It’s pretty remarkable, and I’m excited for him and his family.
Hamlin spoke to the media after workouts. He said he was thankful and blessed for the medical care he was received and for his coaches and teammates. “It’s not the end of my story. I’m here to announced I’m making a comeback to the NFL,” he said.
Defensive end Von Miller is also at workouts. Beane said Miller is improving, but they’ll learn more throughout the week how far along the defensive end is recovering from a season-ending ACL tear.
Meanwhile, Beane is preparing for the NFL Draft, where the Bills own the No. 27 pick in the first round.
“We’re going to take the best player… There’s going to be a good player there,” Beane said.
He added he’s not heading into the draft determined to pick on one side of the ball or the other in the first round.
Only having six picks this year, Beane said the Bills could move back from their No. 27 pick if there isn’t a player available that they want to take that early, but they aren’t afraid to trade up if there’s a player they really want.
Beane said the Bills don’t have a lot of defensive tackles locked down for the
“If you were poking at something the Bills need to keep an eye on, that’s probably where you’d start,” Beane said.