Damar Hamlin: Bills star able to breathe by himself

Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin is able to breathe by himself and has spoken to his teammates over a video call.

“I probably won’t be able to do it justice,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said Friday, “but just to see Damar, No. 1, through my own eyes, it was something I was hoping to see and kind of something I needed to see … and to see the players’ reaction, they stood up right away and started clapping for him and yelling some things.”

McDermott said he kept it a secret from the team before announcing he had “a treat in store” for them — putting Hamlin on the big screen in the meeting room.

“He’s just an infectious young man with an infectious personality,” McDermott said.

He “continues to progress remarkably in his recovery,” the team said Friday, noting that he’s been able to talk to his family.

“So we know that it’s not only that the lights are on. We know that he’s home. And it appears that all the cylinders are firing within his brain, which is greatly gratifying for all of us,” Dr. Timothy Pritts of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center said.

“He still has significant progress he needs to make, but this marks a really good turning point in his ongoing care.”

Hamlin, 24, suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the field Monday night during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The game, which was postponed Monday, will not be resumed, the NFL said.

The Bills will play the Patriots Sunday in the final week of the regular season. The NFL has a series of league-wide honors planned to recognize Hamlin.