2023 George Halas Award Winner Re-Signs with the Buffalo Bills
It was announced by Ian Rapoport via X that Damar Hamlin has agreed to re-sign with the Buffalo Bills on a one-year contract deal. Hamlin has been a tackle machine in the two years he was a starting safety for the Buffalo Bills. Hamlin, who defied all odds by returning to football after suffering cardiac arrest on the football field, will suit up in the secondary alongside players like Cole Bishop and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Hamlin’s story is truly inspirational, and it will continue in 2026 with the Buffalo Bills.
Drafted out of Pittsburgh by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, being relegated to mostly a reserve and special teams role. In his rookie season, he recorded two tackles and two pass deflections in 14 games. In 2022, Hamlin stepped into the starting role after Micah Hyde suffered a season-ending injury. Hamlin would record an astounding 63 solo tackles, 28 assisted tackles, six tackles for a loss, and two passes defended in 15 appearances.
Amid his breakout season, in a Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin made a tackle on WR Tee Higgins. While it looked completely routine, Hamlin stood up, then collapsed on the field. Players from both teams gathered as one, kneeling and praying that Hamlin would get up on his own and return to the huddle. Hamlin was placed in an ambulance, and the players refused to play. The game was suspended and eventually cancelled as neither the Bills nor Bengals had playoff implications. It was reported that Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest caused by a blow to the chest, disrupting the cardiac rhythm at the exact moment of a heartbeat cycle. His heartbeat was restored on the field before being transported to a local Cincinnati hospital. Hamlin was listed as in critical condition and was in a medical coma for over a day before he was able to wake up and breathe on his own. Hamlin and the Bills acknowledged the long road ahead, and the fact that he was alive was more important than any game. Hamlin’s miraculous recovery was complete in mid-April 2023, as he was medically cleared to return, and Hamlin himself announced his intention to return to the field.
Upon his return in 2023, Hamlin returned to his backup safety role and saw limited playing time, appearing in five games and making two tackles. Despite the lack of on-field action, Hamlin still finished second for the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year award. The award required some amendments as Joe Flacco, the award winner, came back from playing on bad teams and led a short “Lin-sanity” run on the Browns, while Hamlin literally returned to the football field after his heart stopped mid-game. The award was changed to be awarded only to players who returned from injuries, rather than overall adversity. While Flacco, other NFL players, and members of the media believe Hamlin deserved the AP CPOY award, the safety was awarded the George Halas Award, which is given by the Pro Football Writers of America to a player, coach, or staff member who has overcome the most adversity to succeed.
In 2024, Hamlin was named the full-time starter after the Bills opted not to retain either Micah Hyde or Jordan Poyer, making his first start since the cardiac arrest in Week One. Hamlin recorded his first career interception in Week Three and his second in Week Seven. By the end of the season, Hamlin started in all 14 games that he suited up in, recording 62 solo tackles and 27 assists, on top of the two interceptions and career-high five pass deflections in the regular season. 2025 was another down year for the former Pitt Panther as he suffered a pectoral injury in practice just months after signing a one-year deal to keep him in Buffalo. Hamlin would only appear in the first five games of the season before the injury forced him onto season-ending IR.
In 2026, Hamlin is expected to return to his 2022 and 2024 levels of success with the Buffalo Bills. After the cardiac arrest, Hamlin reaffirmed his faith in God, having himself baptized after the 2025 season. “I don’t want to say that I’m a completely new person, but my sense of direction and purpose and alignment with who I feel like I’m supposed to be has been on point. It brings me peace.” If he starts, Hamlin has the mindset, perspective, and ability to be a game-changer for the Bills, and with players such as Bishop and Gardner-Johnson alongside him in the secondary, the Buffalo Bills will be a team to watch out for in 2026.
