Damar Hamlin is active for the second time this season as the Buffalo Bills face the Denver Broncos
Bills Demar Hamlin was declared active for the second time this season in Buffalo’s 24-22 ‘Monday Night Football’ loss to the Denver Broncos.
Hamlin will be active as Micah Hyde is absent for the game due to an injury.
He played for the first time earlier this season against the Miami Dolphins when Jordan Poyer missed the game.
In the only game Hamlin was in uniform for, he recorded no stats on any of the 18 special teams he was on the field for.
Although he had not played in any of the Bills’ nine games thus far this season, Hamlin was still on the sidelines during games and was recorded running out of the tunnel with the rest of the team’s defensive backs as he emotionally returned to Cincinnati last week, the same field suffered cardiac arrest after collapsing mid-game.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will be active for the second time this season
Hamlin has played just one game this year against the Miami Dolphins
Hamlin ran onto the field with his fellow Bills defensemen as he made an emotional return to Cincinnati last week
In the only game he wore a uniform for, he recorded no stats on any of the 18 special teams he was on the field for.
Aside from the injured Hyde, the Bills other inactives for the game were CB Christian Benford, OT Germain Ifedi, OL Alec Anderson, DT Poona Ford and LB Baylon Spector.
In Week 1, when he was declared healthy inactive against the New York Jets, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Hamlin was inactive due to “a numbers crisis” in the defensive backfield.
Similar sentiments were also echoed by Diana Russini of athletics who reported that the Bills’ decision came down to activating Hamlin or activating a third running back for the game.
Hamlin is listed as the backup free safety to Pro Bowler Micah Hyde, but is overshadowed by Taylor Rapp as the true No. 3 safety in Buffalo.
While Hamlin could contribute on special teams as he did in his lone appearance this season, Siran Neal is considered one of the Bills star players in that facet of the game and unlike Hamlin, also has the versatility to to play both cornerback and safety.
Hamlin finally checked into the defensive game during the final minutes of the fourth quarter after an injury to teammate Cam Lewis and not only picked up his first snaps of the season with the unit, but he also recorded his first tackle of the season.