ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin made the cut, a person with direct knowledge of the decision confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bills have not announced their final cuts in paring their roster to 53 players. The NFL Network first reported the news regarding Hamlin, whose bid to resume his football career approaches completion after his near-death experience during a game at Cincinnati in January.

Though general manager Brandon Beane has stressed changes could still be made to the roster before the Bills open their season at the New York Jets on Sept. 11, what’s undeniable is the courage Hamlin has shown in reaching this milestone of his comeback by reclaiming a backup role behind starters Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.

What began as a national theme of “Prayers For Hamlin” has turned to praise for Hamlin, who put aside hints of trepidation in each step of his recovery. It’s a journey that’s taken the 25-year-old from being placed in a medically induced coma after going into cardiac arrest and needing to be resuscitated on the field, to returning to the turf to take and deliver hits at full speed during practice and three preseason game appearances in one of North America’s most violent professional sport.

“I made the choice that I wanted to play, you know, it wasn’t nobody else’s choice but mine,” Hamlin said of his approach after a three-tackle outing in Buffalo’s preseason-opening win against Indianapolis three weeks ago. “So, when you see my cleats laced up and my helmet and shoulder pads on, there ain’t gonna be no hesitation.”

• Buffalo’s top pass-rusher Von Miller will open the season on the physically unable to perform list, allowing him to continue recovering from a torn right knee ligament, a person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Miller will be required to miss at least the first four games of the season. Though Miller hoped to be ready for the start of the season, the move was expected after the 12th-year player has yet to be cleared for practice.

PANTHERS: With injuries impacting their depth at wide receiver, the Carolina Panthers made a move to acquire wide receiver/returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the Kansas City Chiefs in a deal involving a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-round draft picks.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Smith-Marsette is coming off a strong preseason in which he was second in the league with 195 yards receiving on nine receptions. The 2021 fifth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings averaged 21.7 yards per catch in three games, including two 40-plus yard receptions.

CHIEFS: Kansas City acquired defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. from the Raiders for a sixth-round pick in a rare trade among division rivals, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The trade for help along the defensive line could be a sign that the Chiefs do not expect All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones to report in the near future. Jones has been holding out in the hopes of earning a lucrative long-term contract, racking up millions in fines for missing the Chiefs’ mandatory minicamp, their entire training camp and three preseason games.

BRONCOS: Denver is acquiring Wil Lutz from the Saints, reuniting the veteran kicker with Coach Sean Payton, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the teams didn’t immediately announce the deal in which the Saints will receive a 2024 seventh-round draft pick from Denver. This means New Orleans will go with undrafted rookie Blake Grupe from Notre Dame. He was 5 for 6 in the preseason with his only miss from 60 yards.

JAGUARS: The NFL placed Jacksonville cornerback Chris Claybrooks on the commissioner’s exempt list Tuesday following his July arrest on domestic battery and false imprisonment charges.

Claybrooks is not allowed to practice or attend games while on the list. The announcement came as the Jaguars paired down their roster to 53 players.

A fourth-year backup from Memphis, Claybrooks has a pretrial hearing scheduled for Sept. 11 that could provide some clarity on whether the league suspends him, and if so, for how long. Claybrooks entered a plea of not guilty earlier this month. The domestic battery charge is a misdemeanor, and the false imprisonment charge is a third-degree felony.