Steelers rumors: Mason Rudolph reunion answered, Damar Hamlin speaks on joining team, LB signed

Damar Hamlin continues to campaign for Pittsburgh return... later

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin -- who suffered a heart attack during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals, went through a miraculous recovery and has since played NFL action -- would like to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hamlin grew up in the Pittsburgh area and played college ball at Pitt. Far prior to his public health scare that resulted in an outpouring of support for him and the causes he champions, Hamlin was doing plenty for his hometown community through outreach and advocacy.

Now, Hamlin wants to get back in the community as an athlete... Just maybe not quite yet.

Here's what Hamlin had to say at a recent trading card event:

"I think end of my career, finishing as a Pittsburgh Steeler would be a dream more so than playing there first because I played at Pitt. So, you know, I was in the stadium, I played at Heinz Field probably for like eight years straight."

Hamlin would love to finish off his career in Pittsburgh, but clearly, he thinks he has more in the tank before signing his final contract, despite being faced with unique and public health challenges so early in his career that doctors have fully medically cleared him from.

Hamlin only played in five games in 2023, a result of Buffalo's secondary first-line remaining largely healthy. In 2022 prior to his incident, Hamlin started 13 games and made 91 tackles (63 solo) and three quarterback hits.

Just because Hamlin wants to end his career playing in Pittsburgh doesn't necessarily mean he couldn't also sign a contract now, though, right?