Damar Hamlin return: Doctors provide update on Bills safety's next steps to recovery
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin took a massive step towards a return to normalcy after a near-fatal cardiac arrest that he suffered during his team's Monday Night Football clash against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17.
He was released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was in ICU since last Monday, and is being transferred to a local hospital in Buffalo to continue his rehab. On a live stream on Twitter with journalists, the doctors said:
"We are thrilled and proud to share that Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital and returned to Buffalo. He is doing well and this is the next stage of his recovery. Damar walked his first lap around the hospital on Friday and he's on a normal to accelerated trajectory. We continue to be ecstatic about his recovery."
Simply amazing. 🫶 https://t.co/hc2gL4RmE6
Timeline for Damar Hamlin's return to the NFL still unclear
When asked how long it would take for Damar Hamlin to recover, the doctors said:
"I think it's too premature to speculate with that, you know, he's making great progress in his brain, you know, and neurological function is really normal. And so, you know, right now, it's just a young man recovering from a very serious illness. And we think that he will recover well from this, you know, and he has a great positive attitude."
Doctors from UC revealed that Hamlin's recovery will be under the supervision of the hospital in Buffalo he's being transferred to:
"As it pertains to the next phase of therapy, as we're not going to be involved in that. I'm hesitant to comment on what other physicians and care teams are going to be doing. He's in great hands. And that is they're going to be helping to create that plan of what his next steps in the recovery will be."
When asked if Hamlin would return to the NFL, the doctors said:
"We're gonna defer that to his care team in Buffalo to assess the availability of such a next step. I mean, obviously, it's something that we would all love to be able to see. But again, still slightly premature to comment on even today. And honestly, he's in a different care team now in their hands. And so we're gonna defer to them to some of those next decisions about the ability to be with his teammates and cheer him on. I think that'd be the best thing to do."
Damar Hamlin enjoyed his team's win over the New England Patriots on Sunday from his hospital bed. Whether he'll be able to join them on the field in the future and continue his NFL career is still up in the air. For now, he'll embark on a journey to full recovery and meet his friends, family, and teammates back home in Buffalo.