Defensive back Damar Hamlin may not want to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers after all.
A little more than five weeks after saying it would be a “dream” to end his NFL career with his hometown Steelers, Hamlin made it publicly known while appearing on The Ed Mylett Show that he is happy where he is.
“I want to be a Buffalo Bill for life. That’s the team that took a chance on me,” Hamlin said on April 2. “When I answered that question, I answered it from the perspective of a childhood perspective.
“I had the dream for a long time of just making it to the NFL and just being able to have the opportunity to take care of my family and give back to my community, something that I didn’t have as a kid growing up. That was always my driving force.
“As a kid, playing the [Madden video] game, I always created myself as a Steeler. I always played the game like that as a kid. So the question they asked me, I answered it from a childhood perspective, and I also answered it from the perspective of, no, I don’t want to play for the Steelers right now because I’m a Buffalo Bill.”
The question Hamlin is referring to is when a reporter asked him on February 24 whether it would be a dream come true to play for the Steelers.
“A dream come true would be finishing my career as a Steeler,” responded Hamlin, who is from McKees Rocks, PA.
Damar Hamlin Causes Stir Expressing Desire to Play for Steelers
Growing up roughly five miles from Acrisure Stadium, it’s not surprising that at one time Hamlin dreamed of wearing black and gold. Hamlin clarified his career goals, though, because some fans considered his desire to play for the Steelers as a dig at the Buffalo Bills.
Hamlin not only grew up nearly walking distance from where the Steelers host their home game, he played at then Heinz Field for high football playoff games. He then played in the Steelers home stadium again during college with the Pitt Panthers.
In five seasons at Pitt, Hamlin posted 275 combined tackles, 21 pass defenses and 6 interceptions.
Even though he has played his entire NFL career with the Bills, Hamlin has remained active in the Pittsburgh community with charities and foundations.
Hamlin became an NFL household name when he collapsed on the field during Week 17 of the 2022 season. Hamlin fell to the field while making a tackle and remained still for several minutes.
He suffered a rare condition called commotio cordis, which is a disruption of cardiac rhythm through a blow to the chest. The National Library of Medicine reported the condition is 97% fatal if not treated within three minutes.
Hamlin made a full recovery and returned to play for the Bills in 2023.
Hamlin’s Success With the Bills
The 26-year-old will likely always be remembered for nearly losing his life on the field. But prior to the incident, Hamlin had become a defensive starter for the Bills.
Hamlin was a healthy scratch often during the 2023 season. But based on his April 2 comments, he’s still dedicating to building a career with the Bills.
Over three seasons in Buffalo, Hamlin has posted 95 combined tackles, including 6 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits. He also has 4 pass defenses, 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble in 34 games.
The Bills drafted Hamlin at No. 212 overall in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft.
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