Damar Hamlin makes an emotional return to Highmark Stadium as Bills take on Bengals

The Buffalo Bills took the field Sunday afternoon to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL Playoffs, looking to advance to the AFC Championship Game for the second time in three years.

Before they left the locker room, however, they were joined by safety Damar Hamlin.

Just weeks after suffering cardiac arrest during Buffalo’s Week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hamlin was back at Highmark Stadium, meeting with his teammates before they took the field for Sunday’s game against those same Bengals. The team’s social media account shared footage of Hamlin entering the Bills’ locker room, with his mother and brother also at the stadium:

Hamlin was then spotted leaving the Buffalo locker room shortly before the coin toss:

Perhaps fittingly, the game kicked off at three o’clock.

Hamlin went upstairs to a suite, where he watched the game with his mother Nina, and younger brother Damir:

As the Bengals were driving before halftime, CBS camera captured Hamlin urging the crow — and his defensive teammates — on:

Hamlin was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center just nine days after suffering his cardiac event, and returned to the Buffalo area to continue his recovery. Before last week’s Wild Card game against the Miami Dolphins, a picture of Hamlin at the Bills’ facility was shared by linebacker Matt Milano:

There were hopes that Hamlin would be at the stadium last weekend, but the safety shared on social media that while he wanted to be with his teammates, he was still focused on his recovery:

Hamlin’s return to Highmark Stadium for Sunday’s game against the Bengals is just the latest positive step in his incredible recovery.