- Damar Hamlin has been discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and is back in Buffalo.
- Doctors treating him in Cincinnati said that Hamlin watched the Bills win on Sunday against the Patriots.
Damar Hamlin is back in Buffalo.
On Monday, Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, just one week after his on-field cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Doctors said that he flew back to Buffalo, where his recovery would continue.
Hamlin had steadily improved over the week since arriving at the hospital in critical condition, and on Sunday, he was well enough to watch his Bills teammates take on the Patriots in their final game of the regular season.
As Hamlin tuned in, he saw the support that was pouring in from around the NFL, with teams across the league celebrating him by wearing "Love for Damar" shirts during pre-game warm-ups.
"We have permission from him and his family to let you know that he did watch the game on Sunday," one of Hamlin's doctors said while speaking with reporters on Monday. "He was beyond excited and feels very supported from the outpouring of love from across the league, especially from the Buffalo area. We've learned this week that the Bills Mafia is a very real thing, and we all feel the love from you in western New York."
The Bills showed up on the field in a big way for Hamlin. In their very first play since his injury, the Bills took the opening kickoff of the game for a touchdown against the Patriots in a storybook moment.
—NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023
Apparently, Hamlin got quite excited about the play.
"When the opening kickoff was run back, he jumped up and down, got out of his chair, [and] set, I think, every alarm in the ICU off in the process, but he was fine," Hamlin's doctor said. "Just an appropriate reaction to a very exciting play."
—Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 9, 2023
Hamlin let his excitement spill over to social media, where he shared a tweet after the touchdown run.
— (@HamlinIsland) January 8, 2023
The Bills went on to defeat the Patriots 35-23, securing the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs in the process.
A day later, Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and returned to Buffalo to continue his recovery.
— (@HamlinIsland) January 9, 2023
The Bills will open their postseason run on Sunday when they host the Miami Dolphins.