There is often little protection for players, especially young players drafted late, tucked away in the language of those NFL contracts.

And that was the case for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

The Bills placed Hamlin on injured reserve earlier this week following the cardiac arrest he suffered in Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin has a four-year, $3.64 million contract, and there is reportedly language in there that would allow the Bills to pay him at a lower rate if he is placed on injured reserve.

But the NFL Netowrk’s Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that won’t happen. Rapoport said that Hamlin’s contract contained a “split cause” which would have allowed the team to pay him $455,000 instead of the $825,000 for the season it would have been obligated to pay him if he were active. That would have meant slashing Hamlin’s salary this week by more than $20,000.

But Rapoport said the team, league office and union worked together to ensure that Hamlin would receive his full salary.

Honestly, it would have been a terrible look if the team would have done anything less. Still, good on the Bills.

Hamlin tweeted out a photo from his hospital bed Sunday and wished the team well following its game against the New England Patriots.

“GameDay … Nothing I want more than to be running out that tunnel with my brothers,” he wrote. “God using me in a different way today. Tell someone you love them today! Let’s go Buffalo Bills.”

And, as if his team heard him cheering it on, the Bills opened their game with a 96-yard kick return for a touchdown return by Nyheim Hynes.

It was something straight out a movie script.

Hamlin’s responded to that on Twitter, too, by writing “OMFG!!!!!,” which if you don’t know what that means, just know that the 24-year-old was pretty, darned hype to see that from his guys.

Hamlin’s post, particularly the first photo shared from his hospital bed, continued a remarkable week of recovery for the McKees Rocks native who collapsed following a cardiac arrest in Monday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin addressed fan for the first time Saturday on his Instagram.

“When you put real love out into the world it comes backs to you (three times) as much,” he wrote. “The love has been overwhelming, but I’m thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We (brought) the world back together behind this. If you know me you know this is only (going to) make me stronger.

“On a long road keep praying for me!”

Hamlin played his high school ball at Pittsburgh Central Catholic before going on to play for Pitt in college. He was a sixth-round pick of the Bills in 2021, and moved into the starting lineup following Micah Hyde’s season-ending neck injury in Week 2 this year.

In 13 games started, he had 93 tackles, 1.5 sacks and four passes defensed.