While Buffalo Bills fans are rightly focused on the exciting and somewhat advantageous postseason ahead, the reality is that the NFL offseason is just around the corner. No matter how the Bills wrap up their turbulent 2025 season, changes are coming to the organization this offseason, and some might sting more than others.
For safety Damar Hamlin, Bills fans might be watching his last few games in a Bills uniform. That, of course, is assuming Hamlin returns. Hamlin has been on injured reserve since Week 6 with a pectoral injury. He’s been eligible to return to the field since Week 11, but has yet to have his 21-day window opened.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said last Friday it was possible Hamlin returns this season, but that he hadn’t “gotten a recent update from our training staff as far as that goes."
Buffalo Bills facing difficult reality with Damar Hamlin's future
Of course, Hamlin’s injury status isn’t entirely why Bills fans should prepare for his exit. Hamlin’s contract ends after this season. The former sixth-round pick signed a one-year, $2 million deal ahead of the season, but has played in just five games, logging a single tackle.
While Hamlin has been on IR, other safeties have stepped up for the Bills. Obviously, Jordan Poyer returned to the team and has been a heavy contributor as he once was, but Cole Bishop has also stepped up in a big way for the defense.
The Bills also picked up Darnell Savage two weeks ago, and, like Hamlin, Taylor Rapp is also on Injured Reserve with a knee injury and is eligible to return, though a return for him this season is just as murky.
While Savage isn’t a lock to return and Poyer is expected to retire, the Bills still have a crowded safety room. If Hamlin does sign back with the Bills, he’d likely still be behind Bishop and Rapp on the depth chart heading into next season. Hamlin will be 28 next season, and after starting 14 games in 2024, it wouldn’t be surprising if he’d prefer a shot at being a long-term starter elsewhere as opposed to being a backup in Buffalo once again.
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It goes without saying that Hamlin is a beloved and respected figure in Buffalo. His football career will always revolve around the night he suffered cardiac arrest on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2023, and subsequently making a heroic comeback to the sport. His charity and community work beyond football have far exceeded his impact on the field ever could, too.
Still, the business of football for a player is playing and contributing on the field. While Hamlin has dealt with a variety of injuries, he’s shown in his 27 career starts with Buffalo that he can help a defense out, given the opportunity. But as the season winds down, Bills fans may have to concede that his next opportunity may have to come with a new NFL franchise in 2026.