Bills' Damar Hamlin Inactive For Second Week In A Row

Despite being cleared to play football again, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered cardiac arrest during a game last season, leaving fans and players everywhere in shock, has yet to take the field during regular NFL season.

The 25-year-old has been set to inactive both week one and week two.

On January 2, 2023, 24-year-old NFL player Damar Hamlin collapsed in the middle of the field during the first quarter of the Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin was down on the field for several minutes as medical personnel rushed onto the area and gave him CPR for 9 minutes as his heart stopped. After reviving him, Hamlin was loaded into an ambulance and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Hamlin was then treated at the hospital, and triumphantly made a full recovery, even being cleared by medical personnel a few months ago to return to football.

The NFL player himself then announced he would return to the sport, saying, “This event was life-changing, but it’s not the end of my story. I’m here to announce that I plan on returning to the NFL.”

The Buffalo Bills safety officially played his first game during pre-season, since the scary incident earlier this year, gaining the respect from fans and fellow players everywhere. The Bills safety recorded three solo tackles in the pre-season game and helped the Bills earn a 23-19 victory against the Indianapolis Colts.

“When you step in between them lines, you’re putting yourself at risk by hesitating and by reserving yourself,” Hamlin told reporters after the game, per CBS Sports. “I made the choice that I wanted to play. It wasn’t nobody else’s choice but mine. So making that choice, I know what comes with it.”

Despite playing in pre-season, Hamlin has been absent from the regular season as he was ruled inactive both in week one and just now for week two, per The Score.

Last week, Hamlin was a healthy inactive and it is assumed that it is the same for this week. For now, fans will have to wait for Hamlin to make his regular-season return, which is guaranteed to be inspirational to many.

After NFL fans watched Damar Hamlin fight for his life on January 2, 2023, they came together. Donations began pouring into a GoFundMe fundraiser created by the Bills Safety in 2020 — The Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was one of many to donate to the fundraiser. Brady donated $10,000, while New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft donated $18,003 on behalf of the Patriots’ organization. Kraft chose that specific number because 18 stands for “chai” in the Jewish faith, and 003 is the number Hamlin wears on his jersey.

NFL players, including Andy Dalton, Sauce Gardner, Davante Adams, Shannon Sharpe, Andrew Whitworth, Lawrence Guy, Drake London, Mike Evans, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Marcus Jones, Myles Bryant, Brian Hoyer, Lloyd Cushenberry, Trey Lance, Ryan Leaf, and Devin and Jason McCourty have all also donated at least $1,000 to the fundraiser.