Bell: Devon Still the one NFL player you hate to see cut

Devon Still is the one player who was on the bubble as NFL teams trimmed their rosters on Saturday that I was pulling for to make the team.

Of course, it had nothing to do with football. And as a journalist, I sincerely don’t care whether the Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals or my hometown Detroit Lions are a step closer to the Super Bowl.

No, it’s about life outside of football.

Still, whose 5-year-old daughter Leah’s battle with cancer tugged at our hearts, is one football player who will always be viewed more as a person than as a behemoth encased in shoulder pads and a helmet.

When the Bengals cut the young defensive tackle last year and re-signed him to the practice squad to ensure that he would have medical insurance for Leah, they were deservedly hailed for compassion. And when he was promoted to the active roster for much of the season, there was a football purpose, too.

This time, though, it’s strictly the cold business that we’ve always known is the case for pro football.

Still, 26, isn’t eligible to be re-signed to anybody’s 10-man practice squad. To land a football job with another team, or maybe even with the Bengals again, it will be strictly about football.

That’s fine, too, about now. Because of his accrued time in the NFL, the collective bargaining agreement ensures that Still will receive medical coverage for himself — and for Leah — for five years after the end of his playing career ... whenever that moment comes.

That status check on the medical plan was actually some of the best news on cutdown day, with Leah — who was once given a 50-50 chance of surviving Stage 4 cancer — in remission since March after undergoing chemotherapy and stem cell treatments.

Don’t even think of criticizing the Bengals for their move on Saturday. They’ve done so well by him. The decision to bring Still back last year was the support that he and Leah needed the most amid adversity.

"Unfortunately, we can only keep so many players," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement released by the team. "Devon had a good preseason for us, and he’s got to feel good about that. He put a good foot forward. An opportunity will come, whether it comes here down the line or somewhere else. I think he really did a good job this preseason. It’s the unfortunate part of professional sports. Not everyone can stay and be there at the end."

Coaches often contend that the toughest part of their job comes with the final cuts, when they have to inform players that they are giving them their walking papers. Sometimes, it means cutting a veteran who committed his body and soul for a decade. Other times, it’s releasing the younger player who had failed to stick after having multiple chances with different teams and faces the realization that he must pursue another type of career.

In every case, though, the decision extends beyond the player.

Still’s case reminds us of that like few others.

During the offseason, Still had a good reason for not participating fully in the Bengals’ conditioning program and OTAs. He was at Leah’s side as she went through treatments. That it put him behind in his football pursuit is one of the sacrifices that so many parents can understand.

In the end, the spot on the roster that Still might have claimed as a model dad probably went to Marcus Hardison, a fourth-round rookie defensive tackle from Arizona State. Hardison had an impressive preseason and clearly earned his shot. But Still remains a model dad.

It came down to numbers.

But here’s to hoping that Still’s number is called again — for reasons that extend beyond football.

Follow columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.