The next chapter in Damar Hamlin's storybook recovery will have to wait at least a week.
Less than nine months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field, Hamlin has been back on the field with the Bills throughout the preseason.
Hamlin's recovery from his scary incident in January is nothing short of remarkable. The 25-year-old's playing career was in serious doubt, but he has received full clearance to return to the field.
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While he has cleared every medical hurdle placed before him, the realities of the NFL roster crunch remain. Here's why Hamlin is not expected to play in the Bills' "Monday Night Football" opener against the Jets.
Why Damar Hamlin isn't playing in Week 1
Hamlin is expected to be a "healthy inactive" for Buffalo's Week 1 game, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Monday morning.
The Bills have decided to activate Cam Lewis, a defensive back who also contributes on special teams, over Hamlin, according to Garafolo.
Hamlin is listed behind Micah Hyde at the safety position on the Bills' unofficial depth chart, with Lewis behind him, but Buffalo will give Lewis the chance in the opener.
Garafolo reports Hamlin could get a chance to play "in the coming weeks," giving him a chance to continue his comeback.
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"You can never take it for granted because, you know, the NFL, they say it stands for Not For Long," Hamlin said recently about his return. "So to be able to go through my situation and then be able to come back and still show that I can still do it is super big."
Hamlin made his return to game action during the preseason, playing in Buffalo's exhibition opener. It was his first time playing in a game since suffering the cardiac arrest during a Week 17 game against the Bengals last season.
"What we just witnessed to me is remarkable," Bills coach Sean McDermott said after the game. "It really is. It’s a true sign of a young man’s courage and, obviously, everyone that helped him get to this point. I know there’s a football game going on out there today, but I mean, truly remarkable display of courage and strength and faith.
"Had a chance to communicate with Damar a little bit last night, and he assured me he was ready to go and was going to trust in his preparation and God, and I think that shows a lot about who he is."
What happened to Damar Hamlin?
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field during the Bills vs. Bengals game during Week 17 of the 2023 NFL regular season.
The Bills safety tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins on an innocent-looking play, however he fell to the ground and did not get up. A group of trainers huddled around Hamlin for an extensive time before he was eventually stretchered off and taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
At the time of the incident, it wasn't clear what had happened to Hamlin. Later on, it was revealed that he had suffered commotio cordis. This occurs when a person takes a hard hit to the chest that causes sudden cardiac arrest.
In order to properly combat commotio cordis, "high-quality CPR" is required as quickly as possible, according to Dr. Manesh Patel, chief of cardiology and clinical pharmacology at Duke University. Bills medical staffers had followed this protocol and tended to Hamlin on the field, which was why there was an elongated on-field treatment.
Hamlin was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where he was placed on life support but eventually recovered thanks in part to the life-saving actions of the first responders.
The Bills vs. Bengals game was postponed and later canceled.
