Bills to pay Damar Hamlin’s full salary despite landing on injured reserve: report

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin will be paid his full salary despite landing on injured reserve after suffering a cardiac arrest in Week 17 during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Hamlin’s contract contains a standard split that allows Buffalo to pay him at a lower rate if he lands on the IR, but the Bills reached an agreement with the NFL and the NFL Players Association to pay him in full, NFL Network reported on Sunday.  

Hamlin is in the second year of a four-year, $3.64 million contract after being drafted by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh. 

BILLS’ DAMAR HAMLIN DISCHARGED FROM BUFFALO HOSPITAL AFTER COMPLETING COMPREHENSIVE TESTS

Hamlin has miraculously recovered since collapsing in the first quarter of a game against the Bengals on “Monday Night Football.” 

After requiring CPR on the field, Hamlin was rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he spent nearly a week in intensive care. 

After waking up and being taken off a ventilator, Hamlin was transferred to the Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute on Monday. 

On Wednesday, Hamlin was discharged from the hospital after going through “comprehensive medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing on Tuesday.”

“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 to continue his rehabilitation at home and with the Bills,” Dr. Jamie Nadler, the care team lead, critical care physician and chief quality officer at Kaleida Health, said in a statement through the team.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said it would be up to Hamlin as to when he will return to the team facility. 

“His health is first and foremost on our mind as far as this situation,” McDermott said Wednesday, according to ESPN. “And then when he feels ready, we will welcome him back.”

Buffalo is preparing to start its playoff run on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. 

The Bills have never won a Super Bowl and will be looking to bounce back after an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Playoffs. 

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.