When will Damar Hamlin play? Timeline, updates on Bills safety's status

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin was almost through his second professional season when he suffered one of the scariest injuries in sports history. Entering Monday Night Football, fans are left wondering when he would return to a regular-season game.

The Bills were playing the Cincinnati Bengals in a Monday Night Football matchup on January 2, 2023. Just under nine minutes into the first quarter, Hamlin made a tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. It appeared to be a routine play. The safety stood up for a moment after making the tackle. Then he suddenly collapsed on the field.

Hamlin had suffered cardiac arrest.

Is Damar Hamlin playing Week 1?

The Bills' Week 1 game against the New York Jets on Monday night will mark the first time the third-year safety is back with his team for a regular season game since that scary moment in January.

However, Hamlin is a healthy inactive for the Bills in Week 1. Defensive back Cam Lewis is expected to be active in his place on Monday night, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

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When will Damar Hamlin play?

According to Garafolo, the safety could make his highly anticipated return to the field for Buffalo "in the coming weeks."

Damar Hamlin timeline

In the moments immediately after the safety collapsed, medical personnel rushed on the field to perform CPR and use a defibrillator before Hamlin was rushed to the hospital via ambulance.

An hour later, the NFL announced the game was postponed. Three days after that, they announced the game would be canceled entirely.

On January 6, four days after his injury, Hamlin was still at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center but was able to breathe on his own. He made a FaceTime call to his Bills teammates from the hospital that day.

One week after his injury and admittance to the hospital in Cincinnati, the Bills safety was in stable condition and discharged from the hospital to return home and continue treatment in Buffalo.

On January 22, Hamlin made his first public appearance since Week 17 when he attended the Bills' Divisional Round game against the Bengals. Three weeks later, he made an on-field appearance during the Super Bowl with the first responders and medical personnel from the Bills, Bengals and University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Two months after the Super Bowl, Bills general manager Brandon Beane made a big announcement at a pre-draft press conference on April 18: Hamlin had been fully cleared to resume football activities.

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Damar Hamlin earned a roster spot in preseason training camp

Entering the 2023 season, Hamlin still had to earn a spot on the 53-man roster before he could make his long-awaited return to regular season action. During the preseason, he made three solo tackles in each of the Bills' three exhibition matchups.

On August 29, ESPN reported that the safety had made the Bills' roster as a backup safety.

When is the Jets vs. Bills game?

The Bills and Jets face off in New York on ESPN's Monday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Damar Hamlin news: When will Buffalo Bills safety play next?