Damar Hamlin 'Upbeat,' But Faces 'Lengthy Recovery': Spokesperson

Damar Hamlin is in high spirits, but he's far from being out of the woods when it comes to his recovery.

The Buffalo Bills defensive back is officially back home after suffering a medical emergency against the Bengals that left him hospitalized for an extended period of time.

There had been optimism he would attend Buffalo's playoff game this past weekend, but he ultimately chose to remain home. However, he has visited with the team and is maintaining a "positive" attitude.

Damar Hamlin is on the road to recovery.

While Hamlin is staying positive and back home, he definitely still has a lengthy path ahead of him when it comes to getting back to 100%.

"Despite being out of the hospital, Damar still has a lengthy recovery. Damar still requires oxygen and is having his heart monitored regularly. He has visited with the team a few times but he still gets winded very easily. He's upbeat and positive and ready to continue to overcome this," family spokesperson and Hamlin's business partner Jordon Rooney told ESPN in a Thursday night statement.

The great news here is that Hamlin continues to take steps forward in his recovery. When he went down against the Bengals, the NFL world came to a grinding halt.

CPR had to be performed to save his heart, and he was immediately whisked away to a Cincy hospital, where he stayed for days.

He eventually returned to Buffalo and is slowly getting his life back together.

Will he play football again? Ultimately, that's not a question that even matters right now. Hamlin has to focus on doing whatever is necessary to just get healthy. That's all that matters, and it sounds like he's moving in the right direction.

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David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.