The Buffalo Bills have agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent safety Damar Hamlin, bringing a fan favorite of Bills Mafia back for the 2025 NFL season. ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reports that it’s a one-year contract extension for Hamlin, with financial details currently unavailable.
Hamlin’s story is well-understood among football fans and the larger world by now. In overcoming the longest of odds to survive on-field cardiac arrest trauma during a routine tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin’s triumphant legacy had already been etched. Returning to the NFL in any capacity was remarkable, but after one season as a carefully deployed reserve in 2023, Hamlin found opportunity like no other during the 2024 NFL season.
After the void left by safety Micah Hyde at the end of 2023, Hamlin worked his way to a starting role in Buffalo’s defense all of last season. All offseason and throughout the campaign he fought off outside competition and his own teammates’ efforts to claim a starting role at safety.
It was a career year for Hamlin who started 14 games and finished with 89 tackles (62 solo), two tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass defenses, and one fumble recovery.
(stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference)
Hamlin’s featured efforts in 2024 made him a finalist again for NFL Comeback Player of the Year — the third time he’d been nominated for the award. Though he again didn’t win the award, his status as a starter for a Super Bowl contender speaks to his tenacity.
The one-year deal allows the Bills to continue developing Hamlin within their system, at least providing them with competent play in the event second-year safety Cole Bishop isn’t ready to take on a starting role in 2025. Hamlin’s knowledge of the system, confidence in the locker room as a vocal leader, and ability to diagnose plays and adjust coverages make him a valuable asset to a team still looking for its new identity at safety.
The Bills have made four additions this week adding DT Larry Ogujobi alongside DE Joey Bosa, former Chargers receiver Josh Palmer, and former Rams defender Michael Hoecht. They’ve re-signed Hamlin, RB Ty Johnson, long snapper Reid Ferguson, and fullback Reggie Gilliam and brought back running back Darrynton Evans. In addition, the Bills have been busy extending some of their current star players with new deals for quarterback Josh Allen, defensive end Greg Rousseau, linebacker Terrel Bernard, and wide receiver Khalil Shakir.