NFL: Cincinnati Bengals re-sign Devon Still a week after waiving him in order to help pay for his four-year-old daughter's cancer treatment

Leah Still was diagnosed with stage-four pediatric cancer in June but Still will be able to spend more time with his daughter to support her during her treatment

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still with his daughter Leah (Instagram/man_of_still75)

Who was the biggest NFL signing of the summer? Julius Peppers to the Green Bay Packers? Maybe Darrelle Revis’ switch to the New England Patriots, or one of Denver Broncos’ defensive additions of T.J. Ward, Aqib Talib and DeMarcus Ware? Whichever one you choose, you’re all wrong.

This isn’t an arrogant claim that a gem will be unearthed from nowhere this season. No, it’s far from that, as the most important signing of the year is undoubtedly the Cincinnati Bengals re-signing defensive tackle Devon Still – so that he can continue to pay for his four-year-old daughter’s cancer treatment.

Still was waived by the Bengals last Saturday, and he was quick to accept the decision having missed a number of team events and minicamps in order to be with his sick daughter Leah, who is battling stage-four pediatric cancer after being diagnosed in June.

“I completely understand where the Bengals were coming from when they cut me because I couldn't give football 100 per cent,” Still told ABC News.

But in a touching gesture, Still received a phone call on Friday morning to be informed that he had been signed to the Bengals practice squad, where he would receive health insurance on top of a weekly wage of $6,300 (£3,858) in order to keep him in the game he loves as well as fund Leah’s treatment.

He won’t have to do any of the extensive travelling around the country that each NFL team is required to do during the season either so he can be closer to his daughter and support her through her treatment.

Still added: “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.”

Later on in the day, Still took to his Instagram account to post a video of himself returning to see his daughter after two weeks away with the Bengals.

“Just got off the plane,” he said. “Haven’t seen my daughter in like two weeks. See how excited she is to see me, I know I’m excited to see her.”

The video then cuts to the sight of Leah running towards the father before the pair greet the camera with wide smiles on their faces.

Still included the caption: “No better feeling than having her in my arms...don't mind her non athletic run she get that from her mom lol.”