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 about the future of safety Damar Hamlin, according to NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills.

The 24-year-old went into 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’s unclear if Hamlin intends to return to the NFL, the league’s chief medical officer, Sills, revealed that the Bills are making plans for him to meet with more health experts.

“It’s about a player and a patient and getting the best care,” Sills said, via Washington Post.

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

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

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

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

“It’s his call,” Sills said. ‘And he’s the person who will need to drive that decision, and then we’ll all align and support that. So I think that’s something that will happen in the future. 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 of that.

‘But it will be run strictly by him and those close to him. And I know that the Buffalo medical staff, as I said, has already hired and will hire many experts to help provide input and feedback in that process.’

When asked about Sills’ latest comments, Hamlin’s agent, Ira Turner, said his client and his team are completely focused on his recovery right now.

“Right now we are just focusing on Damar’s health and making sure he makes a full recovery,” Turner told the Post by email. “Any decision related 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 he “guaranteed” Hamlin would see an NFL field again.

Hamlin had tackled Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of the crucial Monday night game on January 2 and got up briefly before falling to the ground and becoming immobile.

Bills coach Denny Kellington immediately sprang into action administering lifesaving CPR.

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

Hamlin, who was coming off his second season in the NFL, posted a series of photos on his Instagram profile Saturday from an event leading up to the Super Bowl.

He was photographed alongside some of the biggest names in football including Peyton Manning, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, as well as rapper Lil Baby and singer and wife of Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. , Ciara.

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

He made an appearance at NFL Honors Thursday night in Phoenix, giving a rousing speech to an adoring audience.

The league honored the medical and coaching staff of the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills and the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, who endorsed Hamlin during his speech.

In an interview to air Monday morning on ABC, the Bills safety discussed his near-death experience and why he’s grateful Kellington got in on the action.

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

“If it wasn’t for someone showing up that day with a clear head and whatever’s going on in their personal life, just to put it aside and be present in the moment so they can do their job properly, that’s something I’m truly grateful and I don’t take it for granted.