Damar Hamlin Earns First Start for Bills Since Returning From Cardiac Arrest

Hamlin will be making his first start at safety since entering into cardiac arrest during a game in January of 2023.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will make his first start since entering into cardiac arrest in January of 2023. / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Less than two years removed from entering into cardiac arrest on the field during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Damar Hamlin will open the 2024 season as one of the starting safeties for the Buffalo Bills alongside Taylor Rapp, head coach Sean McDermott confirmed to reporters on Wednesday.

Hamlin, who returned to action last season in a reserve role at safety for five games for Buffalo, will earn his most extensive playing time since the heart-related incident in January of 2023. He recorded two tackles last season in his limited playing time.

Hamlin's best season of his short career came in 2022, the year of the cardiac arrest incident. Hamlin played in 15 games, including 13 starts, and recorded 91 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

The fourth-year pro is still just 26 years old, so there's still certainly a chance at a long and productive career ahead of him in what will be one of the premier storylines of the upcoming NFL season.

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