Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has returned to NFL action seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the field during a match.

After approval from doctors, he returned to the Bills’ off-season training and played in the first quarter of a pre-season game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday.

Hamlin made three tackles in the game.

Hamlin collapsed during a match at Cincinnati Bengals after making a tackle on wide receiver Tee Higgins and received more than 30 minutes of medical attention on the field before being moved to an intensive care unit.

He was discharged from hospital nine days later.

There was widespread support for Hamlin from across the sporting world after his collapse.

In February Hamlin said he hoped to return to football “eventually” and added that he was still processing the trauma of the incident.

Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Hamlin “is in a great headspace to come back and make his return” when doctors cleared Hamlin to return to practice in May.