The Buffalo Bills snuck past the Jacksonville Jaguars in their wild-card meeting, setting up a difficult challenge against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. However, reinforcements could be on the way, as veteran safety Damar Hamlin appears to be ready to return to action after not taking the field for a game since October.
It’s been a trying season for Hamlin, but he could very well be set to contribute for Buffalo as it looks to punch its ticket to the AFC Championship Game. Before this game gets underway, though, Hamlin recently took a second to share some personal news when speaking to reporters after one of the team’s practices.
Damar Hamlin Reveals He Recently Got Baptized
While the Bills have enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign, the same isn’t true for Hamlin. After starting all 14 games he played in last season, Hamlin lost his starting gig this year, as he ended up being limited to just special teams work. In five games this season, Hamlin has racked up just one tackle, which is a stark drop from his production last year.
Things took another turn when Hamlin suffered a pectoral injury back in October that landed him on injured reserve. Hamlin has been working his way back to action with the hope of helping the team in the playoffs, and after practicing fully all three days this week, he could be back in action against the Broncos.
Damar Hamlin’s condition shows improvement, Buffalo Bills say
Along the way, though, Hamlin worked on himself as he embarked on his injury rehab, and that resulted in him finding his faith off the field. In fact, when speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Hamlin revealed that he got baptized by the Bills’ team Chaplain last week, with one of his good friends and teammates, cornerback Christian Benford, helping him out.
“I got baptized last week by our team Chaplain, and (Christian Benford), he helped our team Chaplain do my baptism,” Hamlin said. “We’ve already been brothers for life, but this is for sure, we’ve got a super deep connection.”
Bills Aiming to Take Down Broncos, Punch Ticket for AFC Championship Game
Things haven’t gone according to plan for Hamlin this year, but that doesn’t mean he’s stopped working on himself. Getting baptized clearly meant quite a bit for him, and having Benford alongside him was a big deal. Now, he will be hoping to be active for Buffalo’s contest vs. Denver, as it is easily the most important game on the team’s schedule so far this year.
The Broncos haven’t always won pretty this season, but they seemingly always find a way to come out on top when all is said and done. The Bills are banged up heading into this one, but as long as Josh Allen is under center, they will have a shot to come out on top. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday afternoon.
