Bills' Damar Hamlin Says Love Shown to Him Has Been 'Overwhelming' in Instagram Post

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin posted to Instagram for the first time since suffering a cardiac arrest during the first quarter of Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday that the love and support he has received "has been overwhelming," adding that he's "thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out."

Hamlin also shared a similar update on Twitter:

Hamlin remains in the intensive care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center but has been making progress in his recovery over the last few days.

The 24-year-old continues to breathe on his own after having his breathing tube removed overnight Thursday into Friday and continues to show sound neurological function, according to UC Medical Center physicians.

Dr. Timothy Pritts said Thursday, per ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg:

"From our standpoint, we would like to see him continue to improve, to be completely breathing on his own. And then to be ready to be discharged from the hospital. So those are the immediate next steps as we go for his care. His family has been with him at his bedside, as have members of Buffalo Bills organization, really since this all began, and we really want to get him home to them, so those will be the immediate next steps and then we'll talk about potential plans for the future."

Additionally, Hamlin is speaking on his own after previously only being able to communicate via writing on a clipboard. Bills head coach Sean McDermott revealed that Hamlin video-chatted with the team this week over Zoom:

"The thing that makes me laugh is he did this to the guys right away ... he flexed on them, I guess. He's just got some staple things that they know him for, that he does. He made the heart symbol [with his hands] probably more than anything. Then he gave them a thumbs up. And then somewhere in the midst of that, it was a little bit hard to hear, but he said, 'I love you boys.' And of course, that got the guys."

The Bills placed Hamlin on injured reserve Friday. There is still no answer as to what caused Hamlin to go into cardiac arrest, and it's unclear when he might be discharged from the hospital.

Buffalo is gearing up to host the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium for its final game of the regular season Sunday afternoon. The Bills are set to wear No. 3 patches on their jerseys to honor Hamlin, and all players are being given the option to wear "Love for Damar 3" T-shirts during warm-ups.

Hamlin was selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft out and emerged as a key contributor on defense, posting two pass breakups, one forced fumble, 1.5 sacks, 91 tackles, six tackles for a loss and three quarterback hits in 15 games this season.