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Bills safety Damar Hamlin recently returned to practice just months after suffering cardiac arrest in a late-season game against the Bengals, marking the next chapter in a "remarkable" medical recovery. Now, star teammate Josh Allen is publicly reflecting on Hamlin's journey and future for the first time since January, recounting the "emotional toll" Hamlin's incident took on the team.

Allen will be the featured guest on the first episode of Pat Spinosa's new "Like a Farmer" podcast, as CBS Sports reported, with his interview debuting later Thursday. In addition to describing his agricultural interests, recent "Madden NFL 24" honor and other topics, the Pro Bowl quarterback will open up on Hamlin's effect on the Bills.

"Talk about one of the hardest days of my life, seeing (this happen to) a brother that you've bled, sweat and cried with, and cried over," Allen says of his teammate's January collapse. "That night, we'll never forget the things that we saw, the things that we heard. For it to be on such a grand scale, on Monday night ... such a prime spotlight, everybody was watching, and it kind of stopped the world for the night. ... It really took an emotional toll on us, throughout the season."

"Every day that we got back in the facility, we kept getting better and better news," he continues. "The first thing he said was, like, 'I'm playing again. Don't worry about me. I'll figure my piece out, and I'll be out there with ya'll again.' ... It's been special to see. He's a special kid. He's got another purpose in life (now), and it's really cool. It's all about giving back. ... We'll see him on the field soon."

Though Hamlin wasn't especially active during the Bills' recent organized team activities, he was listed as a full participant at Buffalo's practices leading into minicamp. He was cleared to resume full football activity in April and expects to play in 2023.