Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin visiting teammates after being released from hospital

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK — Damar Hamlin visited his Buffalo Bills teammates on Saturday for the first time since he was released from the hospital.

Bills linebacker Matt Milano posted an Instagram photo of a smiling Hamlin next to a teammate.

It’s been twice since Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field during a game in Cincinnati.

The 24-year-old security guard was discharged from Buffalo General Medical Center on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Damar Hamlin released from Buffalo hospital 9 days after cardiac arrest during game.

Hamlin continues what doctors called a “remarkable recovery” as his heart stopped after Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins punched him square in the chest in the first quarter of a canceled game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2.

Hamlin spent his first two days at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center under sedation and breathing through a ventilator. Upon waking, Hamlin showed no signs of neurological damage and was able to breathe on his own and walk and talk for four days after his arrival.

He first interacted with his teammates on January 6, when Hamlin appeared via videoconference from his hospital room. He exchanged hand messages, tensed his muscles and spoke to them, saying, “Love you boys.”

READ MORE: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, still in critical condition, continues to recover, thanks on Twitter

Hamlin tweeted live as he watched the Bills close out the season 35-23 over New England on Sunday before being released from a Cincinnati hospital a day later and transferred to Buffalo. He is currently in rehab with the Bills.

As Hamlin recovered, last weekend as the entire league honored Hamlin, who wears number 3, the Scores and NFL messages switched from “Prayers for Damar 3” to “Love for Damar 3.”

Hamlin’s recovery encouraged the Bills, who were stunned and tearfully watched as medical workers revived their teammate.

Wednesday’s accounts were cautious about when they would have the opportunity to meet Hamlin in person, saying it was up to the player to regain his strength.

READ MORE: Damar Hamlin transferred to Buffalo hospital a week after Buffalo Bills safety suffered a cardiac arrest on a field in Cincinnati.

“Just to make sure he’s taking his time and obviously trying to get back to being himself,” quarterback Josh Allen said. “So we will spend as much time as we need. But I hope he knows the guys are ready to see him.”

In the days following its collapse, $8.6 million in GoFundMe donations poured into Hamlin’s fundraiser for a toy engine to be used to support youth through education and sports.

Hamlin, from the McKee Rock suburb of Pittsburgh, will also use the proceeds from the sale of new T-shirts that read “Did we win?” along with heart-shaped hands to raise money for the Cincinnati trauma center that originally treated him.