Watch: Damar Hamlin returns, helps make crucial stop in win

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Damar Hamlin returns, helps make fourth-down stop in Bills' preseason win

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 8/12/23

Bills safety Damar Hamlin returned to the football field for the first time since his health scare in January during Buffalo's preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts.

For the first time since last season, Damar Hamlin is out on the field. #INDvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/l2dKdNh7De
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 12, 2023

As great as it was to see him suited up, that wasn't his only highlight of the day.

He finished the game with three tackles and contributed on a fourth-down stop in the Bills' 23-19 win.

Who else? Bills safety Damar Hamlin and co make a fourth down stop on the Colts offense. pic.twitter.com/AXVGZtvFLt
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) August 12, 2023

Welcome back, Damar Hamlin

The Bills safety had three tackles vs. the Colts in his return to action‼️ pic.twitter.com/HpqoafLI6H
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 12, 2023

The sports world rallied around Hamlin after he went into cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals on "Monday Night Football" in Week 17 of last season and is still firmly in his corner as various X, formerly Twitter, posts show.

Damar Hamlin back on the field.
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT @HamlinIsland pic.twitter.com/xQF4mTwEW8
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 12, 2023

Damar Hamlin has just taken the field for the Bills for his first play of the preseason.

Pretty freaking awesome.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) August 12, 2023

Seeing Damar Hamlin play with no hesitation is just f’ing awesome. So proud.
— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) August 12, 2023

Following his harrowing incident, Hamlin attended Buffalo's divisional-round playoff game against the Bengals and later appeared at Super Bowl LVII.

During the offseason, he spoke at Capitol Hill about expanding access to defibrillators in public schools and also met with President Joe Biden.

In July, Hamlin honored the Bills' training staff with the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2023 ESPYS.

Damar Hamlin presenting the Pat Tillman Award for Service to the Bills' training staff at the @ESPYS is pretty awesome. pic.twitter.com/Lbt5B6yTYF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 13, 2023

His story continues to inspire, both on and off the field. As he showed on Saturday, he has a lot more to tell, and the pages could become even more incredible because of it.

OddsChecker lists Hamlin (-285) as the overwhelming favorite to be named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year. Buffalo (+130) is also the favorite in the AFC East and is tied with San Francisco (+1000) for the third-best odds of winning Super Bowl LVIII.

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