Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest in a Monday Night Football game in 2023, positioned himself for his first big payday on Wednesday by hiring an agent to represent him in free agency.
Per Adam Schefter on X, Hamlin chose Wasserman Sports' Doug Hendrickson, who earlier in the day announced the record-setting deal he negotiated for Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
A sixth-round draft pick of the Bills in 2021, Hamlin is entering free agency for the first time in his career.
While he won't get anywhere near the type of money Crosby got, he should be in for a bit of a pay raise from the $1.1 million he made last season with the Bills -- the final year of his rookie contract.
Reaction to Wednesday's news and his pending free agency was mixed on social media.
Time for bro to collect his bags.
— ultim8cpa (@ultim8cpa) March 5, 2025
he had a crazy moment... and an amazing story.. that being said, hes backup material
— Silenttoxic707 (@Silenttoxic707) March 5, 2025
He boutta get PAID
— Joey (@JoeSwanson2k) March 5, 2025
He is nowhere near starting caliber safety! Bills had to hide him all year and he still was average at best.
— Pitzer (@pitz2399) March 5, 2025
Pro Football Focus ranks Hamlin as the No. 12 safety in the 2025 free agency class and 127 overall.
One speculated landing spot for the safety and special teams guru is the Steelers. Hamlin grew up in Pittsburgh and once said it would be "a dream" to finish his NFL career in the city.
However, he also stated publicly last year that he couldn't envision himself anywhere else but Buffalo.
"I want to be a Buffalo Bill for life," he said on the "The Ed Mallet Show" last April. "That's the team that took a chance on me."
It's also the team that stood by him through the 2021 on-field tragedy that nearly took his life. It would be strange to see Hamlin in any other uniform than the Bills' red, white and blue.
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This story was originally published March 5, 2025 at 4:20 PM.