A-
B
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Quick Reaction
Great Signing
0%0Overpay
0%0Meh
100%1Steal
0%0Risky
0%01 reaction
Sentiment Analysis
B
Positive
NegativeMixedPositive
A solid continuity signing that keeps a beloved veteran in Buffalo on a modest one-year deal. Five headlines covered the move, though CPR awareness dominated over football analysis. Hamlin's on-field role remains limited, making this primarily a depth and locker-room culture addition. Bills fans rallied around the signing, with his inspirational story overshadowing his actual on-field contributions. Hamlin provides reliable depth at safety, but won't move the needle significantly in Buffalo's playoff contention.
📰5 news
Contract Value Index (CVI)
A-
Great Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
This Damar Hamlin extension represents a shrewd value play by Buffalo, earning an A- CVI that reflects both the emotional and practical wisdom of retaining a player whose story transcends football. At $2.0M AAV for one year with full guarantees, the Bills are paying above-average starter money for what has been replacement-level on-field production, but the unique circumstances make this a steal in the broader context. Hamlin's CVI grade benefits significantly from the short-term structure and modest financial commitment — Buffalo gets a year to evaluate his development while maintaining incredible flexibility for 2025. The fully guaranteed nature eliminates performance risk for a player whose career nearly ended, while the single-year term prevents long-term salary cap complications if his play doesn't improve beyond his current backup safety level. Most similar one-year safety deals for depth players fall in the $1.2-1.5M range, making this a slight premium, but the Bills correctly identified that Hamlin's leadership value, fan connection, and potential upside justify paying above market rate. This is textbook roster management — rewarding loyalty and character while maintaining financial discipline, with the A- CVI reflecting how Buffalo structured a feel-good story that also makes football sense.
Contract Details
- Length
- 1 year
- Total Value
- $2.0M
- AAV
- $2.0M
- Guaranteed
- $2.0M
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About this NFL transaction
The Buffalo Bills completed a transaction involving Damar Hamlin (S) on March 27, 2026. FanVerdicts grades every reported NFL transaction across three dimensions independently: Contract Value Index measures the deal's value relative to expected production, Sentiment measures media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict aggregates community voting on this page. Current grades for this move: Contract Value Index A-, Sentiment B, Fan Verdict pending.
Contract details below show the years, total value, average annual value, and guaranteed money the Contract Value Index grade is computed against. The grade does not change once written — it reflects market expectations at the moment of signing, recomputed only if the contract is restructured.
Want broader context? The NFL hub has the league-wide transaction feed and team rankings. The NFL transactions feed lists every reported move across the league with the same three-grade methodology applied to each.