Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been medically cleared to play football again after experiencing cardiac arrest during a game last season, the NFL team announced.
Brandon Beane, the team’s general manager, made the announcement on Tuesday, saying the second-year player met with three specialists during the offseason, and they came to an agreement he cleared the necessary protocols.
“They’re all in lockstep of what this was and that he has cleared to resume full activities, just like anyone else who was coming back from an injury or whatever,” Beane said during a press conference.
“So he’s … he’s fully cleared. He’s here, and he is of the mindset, he’s in a great headspace to come back in and make his return,” Beane added.
Hamlin also spoke on Tuesday, showing his enthusiasm for returning.
“This event was life-changing. But it’s not the end of my story,” he said. “So I’m here to announce that I plan on making a comeback to the NFL.”
The news comes after the former University of Pittsburgh player had to be resuscitated by medical officials twice on the field and once in a medical facility last season after experiencing cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While he stood up after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, he collapsed soon after.
Hamlin, 25, was released from the Cincinnati medical facility a week after experiencing cardiac arrest.
The NFL had to cancel the Bills-Bengals Monday Night Football contest and modify its playoff bracket due to the incident.
In response, fans have raised more than $9.1 million for Hamlin’s charitable foundation, the Chasing M’s Foundation Community Toy Drive, through the foundation’s GoFundMe page, well surpassing its initial $2,500 goal.
He also visited Capitol Hill last month to push for the passing of the Access to AEDs Act, a bipartisan bill that would provide grants for elementary and secondary schools to purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and provide CPR training.
Hamlin also had a sit-down visit with President Biden at the White House.
“Damar Hamlin’s courage, resilience, and spirit inspired the American people. And what’s more: he turned recovery into action — and our country is better for it,” Biden said in a tweet at the time. “It was my honor to have him and his family here today.”