“It weighed on us heavily”: Josh Allen recounts state of Bills locker room after Damar Hamlin’s comeback
Josh Allen and the rest of the country waited with a sickening feeling as they waited for news on Damar Hamlin after he collapsed on Monday Night Football. Now approaching one year since the traumatic event, the quarterback spoke about what happened on Tom Brady's Let's Go podcast and what Hamlin has done since.
He also appeared to indicate that the injury affected the team's focus into the playoffs:
19:39 mark “Not our funnest moment as a team, seeing all that transpire when it did on the field last year, but, the weeks after that and getting the positive updates on Damar, obviously that helps our team and our mentality a lot. I think that it weighed on us quite heavily throughout the rest of the season."
He continued, explaining that the injury still weighs on them nearly a year later. However, he did express a sense of pride about how Hamlin was able to bounce back and get on the football field. He was also impressed by how safety has managed to raise awareness since fully recovering:
"It's constantly on our minds, but for him to come back and actually make the squad and be an inspiration to us and so many people in the world. He has done so, so much good. [Not just here but] in the entire country in terms of bringing awareness to CPR and raising money, donating AEDs to schools and Little League teams around the country."
Lastly, he claimed that Hamlin's injury and subsequent humanitarian work could even result in saving lives:
"I think that's so freakin cool that he's been able to turn such a tragic moment in his life into such a positive movement that could very well end up saving people's lives.”
Has Damar Hamlin played this year?
The safety's return was one of the most anticipated moments of the Buffalo Bills preseason. However, now nearing the halfway mark of the 2023 season, has safety gotten back on the field?
In a word, yes, Damar Hamlin has gotten back on the field this year. However, he has played in just one game. This year, he's been on the roster bubble, getting activated only in one situation so far this year.
Compared to last year and his rookie season, Damar Hamlin's usage has taken a nosedive. In his rookie season, he played in 14 games. In 2022, before the tragic moment at the end of the season, he had played in 15 games and started 13 of them. This season, he has played in just one game and started zero of them.
According to the team's depth chart, Hamlin is listed behind Micah Hyde and Cam Lewis.
It leaves one considering if the safety's injury last season is still holding him back. Allen said that he still thinks about the injury, which has led to speculation that Hamlin hasn't been used much out of fear for his safety, despite being medically cleared.
Will Damar Hamlin get to play in the upcoming Week 9 matchup against Joe Burrow and the same team that he faced when the injury occurred?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit Let's Go and H/T Sportskeeda.