Sean McDermott Says He Hopes Damar Hamlin Returns to Bills After Cardiac Arrest

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott says the team plans to support any decision Damar Hamlin makes about his playing future.

"The amount of courage it's going to take to re-engage again is unbeknownst to many of us...I'm ready to support him in any direction he decides to go, even if it's last minute," McDermott told Judy Battista of NFL Network.

McDermott said he's hopeful Hamlin returns to the field after going into cardiac arrest in a January game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but the ultimate decision will be made by Hamlin and his doctors.

"The best thing we can do is support him all the way through this and that is a big piece of it that is, mind, body and spirit," McDermott said. "It's just not physically like, hey in the weight room, it's the mental piece as well."

Hamlin needed to be revived on the field after collapsing and going into cardiac arrest in Jan. 2's matchup with the Bengals. The NFL canceled the game after initially postponing it following Hamlin going down on the field, and he spent nine days in the hospital recovering.

Doctors have since been encouraged by Hamlin's progress in his recovery, and a return to football has not been ruled out. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said he's hopeful for a "storybook ending."

"If we're able to get full clearance and he feels he's ready to do it, that's another big smile of a story. Not only that he's just got his life back, but that he'd have his football career back," Beane told reporters in February. "I would love to give the storybook ending that he's definitely going to play, but we just don't know that yet. But if he does, we'll be very happy for him."

Hamlin, a 2021 sixth-round pick, started 13 games last season for the Bills and set a career-high with 91 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He is under contract through the 2024 season.