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Damar Hamlin will not play in the Buffalo Bills’ opening game of the NFL season in a Monday Night Football contest against the New York Jets after being placed on the inactive list.
Hamlin was fully cleared to resume football activities in April after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals in January.
By August, the 25-year-old was a full participant in preseason games and performed well – making three tackles in limited playing time, including a fourth-down tackle to force a turnover on downs, in the team’s first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Hamlin (3) featured in the Bills’ preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts. Gregory Fisher/USA Today/Reuters
But the Bills safety was named as a healthy scratch on the inactive list for Monday night’s game against Aaron Rodgers’ Jets. As a backup safety and special teams player, it’s not a surprise that he will not play in New Jersey.
Hamlin collapsed in January after making a tackle and taking a shot to the head and chest area. Medical professionals performed CPR on Hamlin when he lost his pulse and he needed to be revived through resuscitation and defibrillation. He was on a ventilator for days and spent more than a week in a Cincinnati hospital.
It was later determined that Hamlin’s cardiac arrest was caused by commotio cordis, which can occur when severe trauma to the chest disrupts the heart’s electrical charge and causes dangerous fibrillations (or abnormal heartbeats).
Hamlin looks on during a preseason game against the Chicago Bears on August 26. Melissa Tamez/AP
“I died on national TV in front of the whole world,” Hamlin said in April in his first session with reporters since the incident.
He has since reached several milestones on his return to the NFL, including participating in full practice in June before donning pads again in July.
CNN’s Kevin Dotson and Hannah Brewitt contributed to reporting.