Damar Hamlin’s return to the football field has been one you think you’d see in a movie. Thanks to his remarkable recovery, Hamlin is now a finalist for the NFL‘s Comeback Player of the Year award for the 2023 season.
With the Buffalo Bills DB looking to potentially win an award this year, what does his salary and contract look like in 2023 and going forward?
What Does Damar Hamlin’s Contract With the Buffalo Bills Look Like?
Hamlin was born March 24, 1998, in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. He attended Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, where he was named first-team All-State and the Class AAAA Defensive Player of the Year.
After high school, he was rated as a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports. He had offers from Penn State, Ohio State, Temple, and Pittsburgh. Ultimately, he committed to University of Pittsburgh, where he spent five seasons.
In his five seasons at Pitt, Hamlin compiled 275 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, six interceptions, and 21 pass deflections. He was named second-team All-ACC in 2020.
After his college career, the Buffalo Bills drafted Hamlin in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year $3.64 million rookie contract. The deal included a $160,476 signing bonus.
In the first two years of his contract, Hamlin made $660,000 and $825,000 each season, respectively. His contract was a standard deal for sixth-round draft picks.
In 2023, Hamlin had a base salary of $940,000. However, in 2024, the final year of his rookie deal, he is scheduled to make just over $1 million in base salary, the highest of any year on his contract. Additionally, he will hold a $1,095,119 cap hit in 2024 with a potential dead cap value of $40,119 if he is released.
In his three-year NFL career, Hamlin has played in 34 games, starting 13 of them. All of his starts, and most of his playtime, came in 2022. For his career, he has 95 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and four pass deflections.
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In 2023, though, he played just 17 defensive snaps and only recorded two tackles in the regular season. He did, however, play 94 special teams snaps and received the ball during a fake punt, the latter of which came in the playoffs.
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!