Bengals sign DT so he can pay for daughter’s cancer treatments

The Cincinnati Bengals went beyond the so-called strict football decision and instead made a humanitarian gesture to help save a life.

The Bengals re-signed defensive tackle and 2012 second-round pick Devon Still to their practice squad to help him pay for his 4-year-old daughter’s cancer treatments since he can continue to receive full health insurance.

After failing to make the Bengals’ 53-man roster, Still was waived by the team last Saturday but re-signed to the practice squad Sunday.

“I completely understand where the Bengals were coming from when they cut me because I couldn’t give football 100 percent right now,” Still told ABC’s Good Morning America. “They could have washed their hands with me and said they didn’t care about what I was going through off the field. It’s like a blessing in disguise for me.”

Still, 25, learned in June that his daughter, Leah, has stage-4 pediatric cancer. Since the diagnosis, Still’s mind understandably hasn’t been completely on football as he missed parts of organized team activities and minicamp this offseason to be with his daughter.

As a member of the practice squad, Still receives health insurance as well as a weekly salary of $6,300. He gets to remain with the team that drafted him, without all of the traveling, meaning he can be closer to his daughter as she undergoes treatments.

Still posted a photo of Leah last week on her way to start her fourth round of chemotherapy.

“We’re going to go to battle with cancer,” her dad said. “She’s willing to put up a fight to beat it.”