Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has confirmed he “eventually” wants to resume his playing career following his medical emergency last month.
“That’s always the goal, like I said, as a competitor, you know, I’m trying to do things to keep advancing my situation,” Hamlin told Hall of Famer Michael Strahan during an interview that aired Sunday, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. “But I’m allowing that to be in God’s hands. I’m just thankful he gave me a second chance.”
Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game at the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2 and received CPR that likely saved his life on the Paycor Stadium field. He was fully discharged from medical facilities on Jan. 11 and attended Buffalo’s 27-10 home playoff loss against Cincinnati on Jan. 22.
Most recently, Hamlin and the medical professionals who helped keep him alive were honored ahead of the Super Bowl LVII matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
NFL Players Association medical director Thom Mayer generated headlines when he confidently guaranteed during a SiriusXM Doctor Radio appearance last week that “Hamlin will play professional football again.”
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport later reported that no decision about Hamlin’s playing future has yet been made.
“They can’t really tell, because it’s like — it’s an up-to-me thing I guess or, you know, it’s just — it’s a long road,” Hamlin told Strahan about what doctors said regarding the 24-year-old possibly playing professional football again. “They’re just worried about trying to get me back to normal as much as they can.”
When asked by Strahan what doctors communicated about the fateful incident on Jan. 2, Hamlin responded that the subject is “something I want to stay away from” at this time.
Last week, Hamlin received the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award and then joined medical personnel on stage at the NFL Honors ceremony.
