Damar Hamlin Is Expected to Make 2023 Season Debut in First Time Since Cardiac Arrest

Damar Hamlin has had a long road to recovery, but it looks like he will finally be back on the field!

This Sunday, the 25-year-old NFL star is set to make his 2023 season debut when he and the Buffalo Bills take on the Miami Dolphins. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport broke the news Friday via X, officially known as Twitter.

“WITH #Accounts excluding S. Jordan Poyer, Damar Hamlin is expected to make his season debut against #Dolphinssources say,” he tweeted.

“This spring, Hamlin told reporters, ‘My heart is still in the game. I love the game.’ He’ll be back with it on Sunday,” added Rapoport.

If Hamlin plays, this weekend’s game will mark the first time the Bills safety has played in a regular-season game since he collapsed on the field after suffering cardiac arrest during a Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was paused while Hamlin received CPR from the medics who rushed to his aid.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin had to be resuscitated a second time, uncle says

“They treated him for so long, and the crowd spread out,” Bengals fan RJ McNair, who was sitting in the lower section of the stadium, told PEOPLE in January. “You could see the looks on everyone’s face on the field. That’s when I knew this was a very bad thing.”

“We’re not Bills fans, but everyone was very respectful. People were either hugging or praying or just watching in silence. Maybe we wanted to win the game, but not like that. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” McNair added.

Just weeks later, Hamlin attended the NFL Honors ceremony where he thanked first responders for their quick action. He said it was “God’s plan” for him to “have a purpose bigger than any game in this world” by raising awareness about heart health.

Damar Hamlin. Mike Stewart/AP/Shutterstock

“I have a long journey ahead of me, a journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones,” he said. “But it’s a lot easier to face your fears when you have a purpose.”

In a news conference three months after the medical scare, Bills general manager Brandon Beane announced that the athlete is “absolutely ready” to put on a suit again.

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“He’s completely free, he’s here and … he’s got a great space to come back and come back,” Beane He said April 18.

“So much progress…” Hamlin tweeted at X earlier this month, seemingly talking about how far he’s come since his hospitalization.

After it was confirmed that the athlete had been cleared to return to the field, he made arrangements with the American Heart Association for an exclusive interview with PEOPLE detailing his road to recovery.

“I’m just trying to focus on the right leg before the left,” Hamlin told host American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown in May. “I’m learning to go with the flow, and emotions are just the best. Don’t worry about trying to control your feelings too much.”

“Physically, I’m getting stronger,” Hamlin said during the interview, while smiling and pumping his arms like he was lifting weights.

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Source: HIS Education