Damar Hamlin a full participant in practice five months after suffering cardiac arrest during game

Nearly five months after suffering cardiac arrest while playing in a “Monday Night Football” game against the Bengals and receiving CPR on the field, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin returned to the field for the first time doing individual drills at OTAs. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old showed even more progress, taking the field as a full participant in practice and wearing his helmet.

This is the first time in an OTA that is open to the media that Hamlin was spotted making this type of progress.

Here is a look at Hamlin, putting up his now signature heart with his hands:

According to Alaina Getzenberg, Hamlin was slow to get up after a team drill and was seen by the athletic trainers. They looked at his right arm and shoulder area and he was able to get back to practice not long after. Hamlin was visibly frustrated by what happened, throwing his helmet down. 

Here is a look at some more drills Hamlin participated in:

The first time Hamlin was seen on the practice field he was doing some light drills and running. In May, he did not have a helmet on for the drills.

In April, Hamlin was cleared to resume football activities. He spoke about wanting to make a comeback, saying the scary event that took place is “not the end of my story.”

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said (via CNN) earlier on Tuesday that the team was just “going to continue to take it one day at a time and just support Damar in every way possible.”

McDermott added that Hamlin was not practicing and was just “in the building working,” but Hamlin was later seen on the practice field.

Buffalo owner Brandon Beane previously said multiple specialists cleared Hamlin to return to football activities. 

“They’re all in agreement, it’s not two-to-one or three-to-one or anything like that, they’re all in lockstep of what this was and that he is cleared to resume full activities just like anyone else who was coming back from an injury,” Beane said. “He’s fully cleared. He’s here, and he is of the mindset, he’s in a great headspace, to come back and make his return.”

Beane said in March, early in Hamlin’s recovery, that the safety is “dialed in” and has “every intention to play.” 

In February, Dr. Thom Mayer, the medical director for the NFLPA, said on SiriusXM Doctor Radio’s “Heart to Heart” show, “I guarantee you that Damar Hamlin will play professional football again.”

It was determined that the cardiac arrest was caused by commotio cordis, which can happen when there is severe trauma to the chest that disrupts the heart’s electrical charge, causing dangerous fibrillations.