Buffalo Bills ‘have already spoken with outside consultants over Damar Hamlin’s future,’ reveals NFL

The Buffalo Bills have already spoken with outside medical consultants over the future of safety Damar Hamlin, according to the NFL’s chief medical officer Allen Sills.

The 24-year-old suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field during the Bills’ pivotal Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Pittsburgh native has made a remarkable recovery in the weeks since he was successfully revived on the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati following a hit on the Bengals’ Tee Higgins. 

While it is unclear if Hamlin intends to return to the NFL, the league’s chief medical officer, Sills, revealed the Bills are making plans for him to meet with additional health experts. 

‘This is about a player and a patient and about getting the very best care,’ Sills said, via The Washington Post. 

The Buffalo Bills have spoken with outside consultants over the future of safety Damar Hamlin

NFL’s chief medical officer Allen Sills revealed Buffalo plans for Hamlin meet with experts

‘And, again, I do want to protect the privacy of those involved. But what I would say is I know that the Buffalo Bills have already engaged a number of outside consultants and will continue to do so. And they’ll gather opinions and then, [with] all of those opinions, they’ll sit down with Mr. Hamlin, his family, his agents, all the people that love him and lay that out.

‘And that’s what we do in medicine every day is say, “Here’s our understanding of risks. Here’s our understanding of the situation. Let us make sure that you have all the information and make a good decision.” And ultimately that is the decision.’

Sills insisted ultimately it would be Hamlin’s decision to make and that the franchise was simply helping him to gather all the information necessary to make it.

He also made it clear that the league is not leading the arrangement of meetings with outside medical personnel and Hamlin’s decision to return will be made by him and his advisers without any further permission needed from the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

‘It’s his decision,’ Sills said. ‘And he is the person that will need to drive that decision, and then we’ll all line up and support that. So I think that’s something to happen down the road. I think right now the focus is on his recovery and his continued improvement. And then there will be another day and time to discuss all that.

‘But it will be strictly led by him and those that are close to him. And the Buffalo medical staff, I know, has, as I said, already engaged and will engage a lot of experts to help provide input and opinions into that process.’ 

When asked about Sills’s latest comments, Hamlin’s agent Ira Turner said that his client and his team are focused fully on his recovery at this time.

‘At this time we are only focusing on Damar’s health and ensuring that he makes a full recovery,’ Turner told the Post via email. ‘Any decisions as it pertains to football will be made by Damar when he is ready to do so.’

However, NFL Players Association medical director Dr. Thom Mayer recently claimed that he ‘guaranteed’ Hamlin would see an NFL field again.

Hamlin (left) had a cardiac arrest after a tackle playing against the Bengals back on January 2

The Bills safety spent more than a week in the hospital, part of that time in critical condition 

Hamlin had tackled Bengals receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of the pivotal Monday night game on January 2 and got up briefly before falling backwards to the ground and laying motionless.

Bills trainer Denny Kellington immediately sprung into action to administer life-saving CPR. 

Hamlin spent more than a week in the hospital, part of that time in critical condition, before eventually being able to return home after making encouraging progress.

Hamlin, coming off his second NFL season, posted a series of photos to his Instagram profile Saturday from a pre-Super Bowl event. 

He was pictured alongside some of football’s biggest names, such as Peyton Manning, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as well as rapper Lil Baby and singer and wife of Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, Ciara.  

Hamlin posted photos to Saturday from a pre-Super Bowl event, with Peyton Manning (right)

The 24-year-old was pictured with rapper Lil Baby (right) and singer Ciara (left) at the event

Bills trainer Denny Kellington immediately sprung into action to administer life-saving CPR 

He was the guest of honor in an emotional scene at the Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals playoff game in Western New York, as the injured safety made his first public appearance two weeks after the two teams’ earlier matchup. 

He made an appearance at NFL Honors on Thursday night in Phoenix, making a heartwarming speech to an adoring audience.

The league honored the training and medical staff from the Cincinnati Bengals , Buffalo Bills and University of Cincinnati Medical Center, who all stood behind Hamlin during his speech.

In an interview that will air Monday morning on ABC, the Bills safety opened up about his near-death experience, and why he’s thankful that Kellington sprang into action.

‘I owe Denny my life, literally,’ Hamlin told Good Morning America co-host Michael Strahan. ‘He loves to say he was just doing his job, which is true. That night he was literally the savior of my life, administrating CPR on me.

‘If it wasn’t for someone showing up that day with a clear mind and whatever’s going on in their personal life, just to put it aside, and be present in the moment to actually be able to do their job correctly, that’s something I’m truly thankful for and don’t take for granted.’

He made an appearance at NFL Honors in Phoenix, honoring training and medical staff

Hamlin was the guest of honor at the Bills’ playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals