Damar Hamlin update: Bills safety released from Cincinnati hospital, returns to Buffalo for 'next stage of his recovery'

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Damar Hamlin
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The Bills and, indeed, the NFL world at large received a fantastic update Monday afternoon, as Damar Hamlin was released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and flew back to Buffalo a week after his terrifying on-field collapse against the Bengals.

The news comes the day after Hamlin was very much front-of-mind throughout the league, as Week 18 featured tributes, celebrations, and a pair of Bills kick-return touchdowns in honor of Hamlin, who was watching Bills vs. Patriots from his hospital room.

UC Health released a brief statement on Hamlin's release.

"We are thrilled and proud to share that Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital and returned to Buffalo," the statement said. "He is doing well and this is the next stage of his recovery."

MORE: Josh Allen gets emotional talking about start to Bills' first game since Damar Hamlin collapse

UC physicians said Hamlin's condition was upgraded from critical to fair/good Monday morning and they cleared him to be released from the intensive care unit and travel to Buffalo. They said Hamlin had been walking around the hospital and was able to eat a regular diet before his release. 

Hamlin chimed in on the news himself while acknowledging the support players showed him.

Hamlin also expressed gratitude for UC Health.

Doctors in Cincinnati said they would leave it to their counterparts in Buffalo to detail the next steps for Hamlin, though Dr. Tim Pritts said normally it would take "weeks to months" for someone to recover from a cardiac event like the one the 24-year-old endured. 

However, Pritts did acknowledge that Hamlin has progressed quickly so far, and if the player's experience at UC Health is any indicator, the staff at Buffalo General is going to have its hands full when the Bills play the Dolphins Sunday in their playoff opener.

Clearly Hamlin's recovery process is going according to plan, and his liveliness is heartening to see. He'll undoubtedly be happy to watch the Bills play from Buffalo rather than Cincinnati, as they try to mount a Super Bowl run in the postseason.

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Kevin Skiver is a content producer at The Sporting News