The 24-year-old flew to Buffalo, New York (northeast), where he will continue his recovery in another hospital.

"We are thrilled and proud to announce that Damar Hamlin has been released from hospital," the Ohio-based medical center said.

"He is doing well" and it is in Buffalo where he left that "the next stage of his recovery will take place."

"Grateful for the awesome care I received at UCMC," Hamlin tweeted, adding that the staff at his new hospital, Buffalo General Medical Center, had "already made him feel at home )".

Hamlin had suffered a cardiac arrest last Monday, following a terrible shock to the chest suffered while tackling an opponent, during the regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He was quickly taken care of and resuscitated on the ground, before being hospitalized.

An impressive sequence seen by millions of viewers attending this match between two candidates for the Super Bowl, in a packed stadium suddenly silenced, recalling the extreme danger of the most popular sport in the country.

Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin (g), during the violent shock suffered in the NFL against the Bengals in Cincinnati, January 2, 2023 © Dylan Buell / Getty Images North America / AFP

"A long way"

Hamlin, who remained in critical condition for several days, made rapid and steady progress.

After waking up on Wednesday, he was deintubated on Thursday evening and was then able to communicate verbally with his loved ones and members of his team, demonstrating that he was on the right track after a near death.

William Knight, one of the doctors at UCMC Medical Center who operated on Hamlin and who accompanied him to the airport before his transfer to Buffalo on Monday, warned that his recovery would be "a long way to go".

“It is premature to talk about a possible return to the NFL grounds, he told a few journalists. We are focused on his day-to-day recovery. We are delighted with his current state. he walks, he has an incredible sense of humor. But as for any guesswork about his future, it's still way too early."

In particular, he must undergo further examinations to determine what may have caused his cardiac arrest last week.

The giant screen at Lambeau field, home of the Green Bay Packers, shows support for Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin during an NFL game on January 8, 2023 © Patrick McDermott / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/ AFP

In the meantime, the day after the final day of the regular season, which was an opportunity for all NFL players, staff and fans to pay tribute to him, Hamlin expressed his gratitude and his emotion on Twitter.

"Seeing everyone gather around me on Sunday was truly an incredible feeling. The same love you all have shown me, I intend to return" a hundredfold, he wrote.

© 2023 AFP