Many players, coaches, and NFL media members have shared their well-wishes, thoughts, and prayers for Damar Hamlin as he has been in the hospital on the road to recovery from the injury he sustained on Monday night.
However, there are few people in the league closer to Hamlin than Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett shares love and appreciation for his friend and former Pitt co-captain, Damar Hamlin. 💙 pic.twitter.com/coBgEPinfc
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2023
Pickett and Hamlin are both from the greater Pittsburgh area and were teammates and co-captains at the University of Pittsburgh.
In part of Pickett’s statement, he talks about the fact that, although Hamlin could have gone to a lot of different colleges and universities, he decided to stay home to be closer to his family, attending their local university.
Hamlin and Pickett are close friends, and, much like the majority of Bills players, Pickett was impacted personally by the news of Hamlin’s severe injury.
The Steelers are currently 8-8, and with a win on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, along with a few other teams losing, can sneak into the playoffs.
A win would also secure Steelers coach Mike Tomlin another season with a winning record, a streak that has spanned 15 NFL seasons.
Although Pickett may be still thinking about Hamlin, keeping him in his thoughts, he will still be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback on Sunday.
Pickett may be filled with more energy about the whole situation, especially considering that Hamlin has made marked improvements over the past 24 hours.
Will the Steelers be able to beat the Browns on Sunday?
Tune in to find out, in what’s sure to be a hard-fought game.
NEXT: Is Minkah Fitzpatrick The Best Safety In The NFL?