Bills sign S Damar Hamlin to 1-year deal

Field Level MediaField Level Media|published: Fri 27th March, 12:07 2026
NFL: New Orleans Saints at Buffalo BillsSep 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) on the field after a game against the New Orleans Saints at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Safety Damar Hamlin signed a one-year contract to return to the Buffalo Bills on Friday.

Financial terms were not disclosed for Hamlin, who played in five games in 2025 before sustaining a season-ending pectoral injury. He was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 11.


Hamlin, 28, is best known for his remarkable comeback after suffering cardiac arrest following a hit to the chest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.

He was brought back slowly during the 2023 season and appeared in five games, mostly on special teams. In 2024, he played 98 percent of the snaps at safety in the 14 games in which he appeared, before recording one tackle last season while playing 49 of his 61 total snaps on special teams.

The Bills selected Hamlin, who played collegiately at Pitt, in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has 185 tackles in 53 career games (27 starts).


--Field Level Media

home bills-sign-s-damar-hamlin-to-1-year-deal