Damar Hamlin may have garnered the most first-place votes, but he didn’t bring home the NFL Comeback Player of the Year honor last season. But he’s received another chance.
Hamlin has been named a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year for the second season in a row, alongside Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzales.
It’s the first season since the criteria for the award shifted to emphasize rewarding players who have returned from illness, injury or other circumstances that led to missed playing time, as opposed to a simple return to form.
The criteria change is in large part due to Hamlin missing out on the award last season.
He’s been very impactful for the Bills over the two playoff games this season, recording 12 tackles (six solo), two tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble and a quarterback hit. The Bills are scheduled to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game this weekend.
Damar Hamlin started all 14 regular games he played this season, bouncing back in a major way for the Bills. He racked up 89 tackles (62 solo), two tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
Hamlin served as a reserve safety for the Bills last season. He was active for five regular season games last season, recording two tackles (all solo) and played in both of the Bills’ playoff games — recording two tackles against the Kansas City Chiefs. He finished second (receiving more first-place votes than the eventual winner Joe Flacco) in the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award voting.
It’s a miracle he played at all last season — and was inserted into the starting lineup this season — after he went into cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football Game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January of 2023, with the Bills training staff saving his life on the field at Paycor Stadium.
He finished the 2023 season with two tackles and then played in the Bills’ playoff run, but his impact on the field was secondary to his ability to simply step onto the field and play in a football game. It was a triumphant return for Hamlin and all of those who were involved in his recovery.
But of course, Hamlin wanted to be more than just a good story — he wanted to get back to making an impact on the football field. And now he is.
Hamlin recorded 91 tackles (63 solo), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble in 15 games in 2022 — starting every game in the Bills’ secondary from Week 3 onward. And he filled in admirably in an injury-stricken Bills secondary.
Damar Hamlin originally committed to Pitt as a four-star recruit out of Pittsburgh Central Catholic, choosing Pitt over an offer from just about every major college in the country, and he would grow into one of the top safeties in college football during his time in Pittsburgh.
In five seasons at Pitt, he recorded 275 tackles (185 solo), 10 tackles for loss, six interceptions, 21 pass breakups and a fumble recovery.
