It has been 10 months but the lingering specter of Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest continues to cast a shadow over NFL players.
In January 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin suffered a sudden cardiac arrest, triggering an emergency response.
It occurred during a Monday night game that saw the Bengals pitted against the Bills.
Hamlin, in the course of his duty, made a seemingly routine tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, a play that held no overt signs of brutality.
Higgins was advancing with the ball on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Joe Burrow, leading with his right shoulder as he connected with Hamlin’s chest.
In the ensuing collision, Hamlin wrapped his arms around Higgins.
After a brief moment of apparent normalcy, Hamlin inexplicably fell backward and lay motionless on the field.
The scene lasted for 19 agonizing minutes as medical personnel rushed to Hamlin’s side.
Reports later revealed that Hamlin required an automated external defibrillator (AED) and CPR to resuscitate him on the field, with the immediate suspension of the game being a necessary consequence.
For Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd, the memory of that moment continues to linger like an unwelcome ghost.
“It took a few games last year,” Boyd recounted. “As you keep playing ball and go through it, you kind of can’t play with things on your mind because you might not play the football you need to play with the scheme. But at the same time, you still got it on your mind, like, how the hell can something like that happen? I had to just continue to go out there and play the game.”
Every subsequent big hit or injury on the field triggers Boyd’s memories of that traumatic event.
He shared:
“Any big hit now or when you are down and can sense body language, it is taking a little while for them to get up, Boyd said, it always triggers.”
The mental and emotional toll this incident has taken on Boyd is evident, but he strives to stay focused on his role within the team.
Miraculously, Damar Hamlin has undergone a period of recovery and rehabilitation and has made his way back to the sport he loves.
Hamlin’s thoughts on his impending return to NFL were shared with the New York Post’s Christian Arnold:
“I don’t know what to expect. You know, this is unique to me as well. All I know is I’m walking in with courage, I’m walking in with strength, and I’m walking in with my brothers. You know, and I’m walking in with my mom, my dad, my family. And I’m walking into, you know, an environment of people that supported me the entire time.”
In the most recent update, it has been reported that Hamlin is not expected to be active for Sunday’s game, as per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
On an emotional return trip to Cincinnati that will conjure many memories for the Bills, Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin is not expected to be active Sunday night vs. the Bengals, per league sources. This is not unusual nor unexpected, as Hamlin has played only one game so far this… pic.twitter.com/9T4ZFh9xde
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 5, 2023
However, NFL fans are eagerly awaiting Hamlin’s eventual return soon.
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