Damar Hamlin starts for Bills and feels like himself again 20 months after cardiac arrest

Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest on January 2, 2023 shocked the nation and united the sports world as we all hoped for a positive outcome. Not only did Hamlin survive the life-threatening incident, but the Buffalo Bills safety played in five games the following NFL season.

Now, two seasons after that scary episode, Hamlin enters the first week as a starter for his team with growing confidence and joy.

“I feel confident, man,” Hamlin told USA TODAY Sports in an interview on behalf of Invisalign. “Just being able to believe in yourself and know who you are. … I’m just trying to do the best I can, one day at a time.”

Coaches have noticed in offseason workouts and training camp that Hamlin is playing more freely 20 months after his cardiac arrest as the Bills prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.

“It was predictable,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said of Hamlin playing with less tension and apprehension. “He’s been more focused than he was a year ago, he’s been more pressed and he’s really gotten back to where he was. … It was predictable, again, given the situation he’s been through. It’s fun to see him have fun here. I think he’s been able to do that, and you can tell he’s serious.”

The Bills underwent an offseason overhaul that saw established starters leave the team, including receiver Stefon Diggs, center Mitch Morse and safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde.

Hamlin remains friends with his former teammates and credits Diggs for helping him regain the confidence to return to football. He told USA TODAY Sports he plans to send a new player to the Houston Texans receiver soon.

“I appreciate him. He was a big part of getting me back to the life I started,” Hamlin said of Diggs. “He helped shape my life. Just watching him be himself gave me my lust for life again. I’ll always love him differently.”

With the Bills’ roster making a number of changes, Hamlin is expected to play a larger role in Buffalo’s defensive backfield this year. McDermott told reporters Wednesday that Hamlin will start against the Cardinals.

“His goal was to get a job. I want to prove I can start and help and make plays,” Bills general manager Brandon Beane said. “That’s what he did: ‘Micah and Jordan are gone. There’s new faces around, and don’t forget about me. I can still do it.’”

Hamlin hasn’t started since the life-changing 2022 season. He had a career-high 91 tackles in 2022 and two tackles in limited action last season. This year, however, Hamlin is expected to see plenty of time on the field.

Regardless of his role or how many snaps he gets this year, Hamlin is grateful to be healthy enough to play football at a high level in what will be his fourth season in Buffalo.

“I’ve been through so much in my life that I’m just blessed to have the opportunity to still be here,” Hamlin said. “I stay grounded in knowing that, you know, I’m still here for a reason, and trying to spend as much time as I can trying to align myself with the purpose of why I’m here is everything to me.”

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Damar Hamlin to start for Bills in second NFL season since cardiac arrest