Good news continues to come for Damar Hamlin.
Three months after suffering cardiac arrest mid-game and requiring CPR on the field, Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane told reporters Tuesday that the 25-year-old safety is medically cleared to play again.
“He’s fully cleared, he’s here and…he’s in a great headspace to come back and make his return,” Beane said during a press conference.
Hamlin is now one step closer to stepping back on an NFL field and writing the next chapter of his career.
In February, a month after Hamlin said the Bills and Cincinnati Bengals medical teams saved his life, the NFL star told he “eventually” wanted to play football again, but was leaving that decision “in God’s hands.”
Earlier this month, Hamlin marked the three-month anniversary of his cardiac arrest, noting on Twitter how he’s made “so much progress” since then.
While Hamlin has been fully cleared, there is no exact date for when he’ll make his NFL return. The league’s 2023 season schedule has not yet been released, but typically begins in early September. Preseason games begin in August.
Hamlin has kept plenty busy off the field while making his recovery. Late last month, Hamlin spoke on Capitol Hill in support of the Access to AEDs Act, which aims to help place more defibrillators in schools.
And in February, Hamlin took the stage at the NFL Honors awards to thank the first responders, noting that “God’s plan” for him “was to have a purpose greater than any game in this world” in raising awareness for heart health.
“I have a long journey ahead, 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.”