Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin finds himself as a finalist for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after his return to the field this season. And as you would expect, Bills cornerback Dane Jackson believes that Hamlin should be the deserving winner of the award.
Hamlin and Jackson have a relationship that dates back to their college playing days at Pittsburgh, playing together for four seasons from 2016 to 2019. They then both ended up being drafted by the Bills, where they have played the entirety of their respective NFL careers thus far.
Both sat down with Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team on Thursday to discuss various topics. This is where Jackson was asked by Meirov about Hamlin’s chances of winning the Comeback Player of the Year award.
“Like I said before, I’l keep saying it again. For me personally, I don’t think there is anyone more deserving than my brother because I have seen the journey. I’ve seen everything he has been through, everything he has overcame. He never complained even when the days got rough. He always just looked at me and told me this is what he loves to do. I have nothing but respect for this guy, my brother. And nobody is more deserving for it.”
#Bills S Damar Hamlin and CB Dane Jackson sit down with @The33rdTeamFB to discuss the challenges they faced this past season, why they believe Sean McDermott is the right coach for Buffalo, and Jackson explains why Hamlin should be Comeback Player of the Year. 👇 pic.twitter.com/QIlCUVLQgU
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 1, 2024
Hamlin’s actual on-field production this season was largely limited to strictly special teams efforts, which is why some believe he should not win the award.
However, if you look at strictly who has overcome the biggest obstacle to return to the field, there is essentially no debate that Hamlin has overcome perhaps more than anyone in NFL history given his cardiac arrest situation last season.
Hamlin is the current betting favorite to win the award, sitting at -140 to win the award on DraftKings Sportsbook. His closest competition for the award is Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, who is just a +103 betting underdog at the moment.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.