When it comes to evaluating Damar Hamlin, the conversation is far more nuanced than just his play on the field.
Continuing our look at Buffalo Bills free agents, we come to safety Damar Hamlin. There’s no need to detail what happened to Hamlin on the field, but I would like to recap the good he’s done with his resulting celebrity status.
Pushing for greater access to AEDs across the state of New York with ripples spreading across the United States, Hamlin has made his mark. Will that have an impact on free agency? It might. Let’s take a very brief look at his 2025 film.
The Film
One of the biggest things in favor of bringing back Damar Hamlin is the low cost of his last salary. The second biggest thing, as it relates to future salary, is that he had almost zero opportunity to showcase what he can do. The above set of clips is 25% of his snaps on defense from the 2025 season, and several of the remaining nine plays don’t have the ball anywhere near him. That makes it difficult to know what he might or might not do.
Hamlin has strictly been a depth player with a starter’s brand recognition thanks to an unfortunate and life-threatening situation. I don’t believe there’s anything on film that changes the perception of Hamlin and his ability as an NFL player. I do like his reaction time to plays and there’s nothing to hate, but, again, there’s limited film to review from 2025 (thanks in part to injury). The fact he didn’t hit the field speaks volumes on how the team saw his performance.
Would I bring him back? There’s nothing wrong with a depth player, and sometimes a good story is worth a little bit extra. As a former CPR/First Aid/AED instructor with some experience coordinating an organizational AED program, Hamlin’s activism is near and dear to my heart. The man is easy to root for and might be an inspiring presence in a locker room.
Category: General Sports
