NFL Players Association medical director Thom Mayer has guaranteed that Bills safety Damar Hamlin will play football again. NFL medical director Allen Sills was far more equivocal.
“This is about a player and a patient and about getting the very best care,” Sills told the Washington Post on Friday. “And, again, I do want to protect the privacy of those involved. But what I would say is I know that the Buffalo Bills have already engaged a number of outside consultants and will continue to do so. And they’ll gather opinions and then, [with] all of those opinions, they’ll sit down with Mr. Hamlin, his family, his agents, all the people that love him and lay that out. And that’s what we do in medicine every day is say, ‘Here’s our understanding of risks. Here’s our understanding of the situation. Let us make sure that you have all the information and make a good decision.’ And ultimately that is the decision.”
Sill said the league isn’t leading the effort. The decision ultimately is one for Hamlin to make, with appropriate advice and counsel.
“It’s his decision,” Sills said, “and he is the person that will need to drive that decision, and then we’ll all line up and support that. So I think that’s something to happen down the road. I think right now the focus is on his recovery and his continued improvement. And then there will be another day and time to discuss all that. But it will be strictly led by him and those that are close to him. And the Buffalo medical staff, I know, has, as I said, already engaged and will engage a lot of experts to help provide input and opinions into that process.”
For now, Hamlin and his representatives aren’t thinking about Hamlin playing again.
“At this time we are only focusing on Damar’s health and ensuring that he makes a full recovery,” agent Ira Turner told the Post via email. “Any decisions as it pertains to football will be made by Damar when he is ready to do so.”
That’s the way it should be. First, he needs to get back to full health and strength. Then, he can decide whether to play again.
