Damar Hamlin returned to the Buffalo Bills training facility Saturday, where he visited his teammates for the first time since being discharged from a Buffalo hospital after collapsing during a January 2 game against the Bengals.
Matt Milano, a Bills linebacker, posted an image of Hamlin at the facility embracing another member of the team. Hamlin is standing upright and smiling. The image has been shared widely across social media platforms.
An unnamed source close to the NFL team confirmed to the Associated Press that Hamlin’s visit did indeed take place on Saturday.
Hamlin was released on Monday from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he had been under care since he collapsed during a January 2 game against the Bengals. He was transferred to the Buffalo General Medical Center that same day.
Later in the week, the Buffalo Bills released a statement that said Hamlin had “been discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute” in Buffalo. The statement continued to say that Hamlin will “continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills.”
The Institute’s Dr. Jamie Nadler said in a statement: “We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged.”
The 24-year-old safety has been increasingly active on social media as his condition has improved. On Jan 7, he shared a post on Instagram where he thanked the medical staff and Bills fans who have supported him.
“Love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out,” he said in the post. “We brung the world back together behind this. If you know me, you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!”