Damar Hamlin Steals the Show, Hall of Fame Class, Super Bowl Party Games, and Other NFL Bullets

Last night, the NFL Honors featured the reveal of the annual AP NFL awards winners. Patrick Mahomes won the MVP. Brian Daboll won the coach of the year. You can read more about all of that in our recap of the show. But Bills safety Damar Hamlin stole the show last night in Phoenix.

  • Flanked by the team of doctors that worked to save his life last month, Damar Hamlin gave a speech at the NFL Honors last night:
  • It was a memorable and heartwarming moment. To see Hamlin on that stage just a month after he went into cardiac arrest on the field is a miracle. But it wasn’t just the team of doctors and medical professionals at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center that saved Hamlin’s life last month. Bills trainer Denny Kellington administered CPR to Damar Hamlin on the field for nearly nine minutes. Last night, Kellington was recognized for his heroic efforts in a unique way. Kellington received an MVP award vote in the AP voting.
  • Kellington has been credited with saving Hamlin’s life that night, restoring his heartbeat on the field before Hamlin was placed on an oxygen tank and into the ambulance.
  • In addition to the AP awards last night, the newest class to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was announced.
  • Devin Hester missed the cut again. Which is bulls—, but what are you going to do about it? Congratulations to those who did make the cut this year.
  • Alright, the Super Bowl is just two days away. I was doing some shopping at Jewel (yes, I can spell and pronounce that despite my deep southside roots) yesterday, and the woman at the deli counter asked me if I was doing some Super Bowl party shopping. Probably because of the pound of Buffalo chicken dip I ordered. However, no, I’m just fat. I will be shopping for the Super Bowl spread tomorrow because I like to do everything last minute.
  • Still, it got me thinking about the day. More specifically, the games. Put the pitchforks away; I’m not going to talk about gambling (although I will be dabbling). Instead, I want to share a fun Super Bowl game that the whole family can play together, courtesy of The Athletic.
  • DeMeco Ryans is beginning to fill out his coaching staff in Houston. Ian Rapoport has Ryans hiring Cardinals defensive line coach Matt Burke as his defensive coordinator:
  • Burke coached the Cardinals line in 2022 after coaching stints with the Jets, Eagles, Dolphins, Bengals, Lions, and Titans. He was previously a defensive coordinator with the Dolphins from 2017 to 2018.
  • The Texans ranked last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and second-worst in rushing touchdowns allowed. Burke worked with Ryans’ former teammate J.J. Watt in Arizona last season, so a referral from Watt may have started the conversation here.
  • It’s unclear whether Burke or Ryans will call the defensive plays for the Texans next season.
  • ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared and update on the Colts head coaching search this morning:
  • So, Mike Kafka, Brian Callahan, and Wink Martindale are out of the running for the Colts’ job. Leaving Jeff Saturday, Shane Steichen, Raheem Morris, and Rich Bisaccia as the known finalists for the job. I wouldn’t expect to hear anything in the way of a decision until Monday at the earliest.
  • The Cardinals are meeting with Bengals DC Lou Anarumo again today for their head coaching vacancy.
  • Joe Burrow and Josh Jacobs were named the FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Year last night:
  • The Bulls are a HOT MESS:
  • Luis has thoughts on Devin Hester missing the cut for this year’s HOF class:
  • written by

    Patrick grew up in Chicago's Bridgeport and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods before moving to the Western Suburbs of Chicago before eventually relocating to the Las Vegas area with his family in 2023. He started with Bleacher Nation in 2021 and has spent time as a Staff Writer and on the Chicago Blackhawks beat. He is currently a writer and editor at Bleacher Nation covering the Chicago Bears and the NFL at large and the author of the Bleacher Nation Newsletter. Patrick is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA).

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