Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin is heading home from the hospital nine days after collapsing on the field and suffering cardiac arrest during a "Monday Night Football" game, the team said.
The Bills announced on Twitter Wednesday that Hamlin, 24, had been discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, where he was admitted earlier this week.
"Hamlin was admitted on Monday and went through a comprehensive medical evaluation as well as a series of cardiac, neurological and vascular testing on Tuesday," the statement said.
"We have completed a series of tests and evaluations, and in consultation with the team physicians, we are confident that Damar can be safely discharged to continue his rehabilitation at home with the Bills," Dr. Jamie Nadler, critical care physician and chief quality officer at Kaleida Health, said in the statement.
The Bills captioned the post, “An amazing Damar Hamlin update,” adding red and blue heart emojis.
After the announcement, ex-NFL players and figures from across the league shared their support for Hamlin on social media.
The injured Bills safety was released from the intensive care unit of a Cincinnati hospital and transferred to Buffalo on Monday. Doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center called the move to the Buffalo hospital the "next stage of his recovery."
On Tuesday, Hamlin tweeted, "Not home quite just yet. Still doing & passing a bunch of test. Special thank-you to Buffalo General it’s been nothing but love since arrival! Keep me in y’all prayers please!"
During the first quarter of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, Hamlin collapsed on the field after tackling Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. A member of the Bills training staff performed CPR, and Hamlin was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital.
The team confirmed that Hamlin went into cardiac arrest, though the cause has not yet been announced.
Last week, his medical team said they were considering the cause to be commotio cordis, which happens when a person gets hit in the chest at a specific moment in the heart cycle.
On Friday, Jan. 6, the Bills tweeted that Hamlin's breathing tube had been removed and that his recovery was progressing “remarkably,” adding the former University of Pittsburgh star was finally able to speak to his family and care team.
On Saturday, Jan. 7, Hamlin's medical staff in Ohio said he was continuing to breath on his own and "his neurological function is excellent."
The Bills-Bengals game, which was originally postponed, was officially canceled, the NFL announced last week.
On Jan. 8, the Bills beat their archrival New England Patriots, 35-23, in the team’s first game since the incident. They face the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday, Jan. 15.
