A doctor with the NFL Players Association says he expects Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin to be back on a football field in a matter of time.
Dr. Thom Mayer, the medical director for the union that represents thousands of active and former players, made the prediction just over a month after Hamlin suffered an on-field cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game on Jan. 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I don’t want to get into HIPAA [privacy] issues, but I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again,” said Mayer on SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio show “Heart to Heart.”
Mayer’s comment comes more than a month after medical professionals used CPR and a defibrillator on Hamlin in a scene that shocked the football world.
Hamlin, who was transferred from Cincinnati Medical Center to a Buffalo, New York, medical center before being released on Jan. 11, eventually made an appearance during a playoff rematch between the Bills and Bengals last month.
On Wednesday, Hamlin accepted the union’s Alan Page Community Award and in a speech reflected on a “favorite quote” of his: “It’s a blessing to be a blessing.”
“With that being said, I plan to never take this position for granted and always have an urgent approach to making a difference in the community where I come from and also communities across the world,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin was one of five finalists for the community service award, which included a $100,000 donation to his Chasing M’s Foundation, according to The Associated Press.
Hamlin received an outpouring of support for his foundation’s toy drive fundraiser following his medical emergency. It had received more than $9 million as of Wednesday.