Congrats:What a strong statement from the Cincinnati Bengals
Devon Still’s family is having an even better week than it was before.
The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed the defensive tackle on Thursday morning. The announcement of his extended contract was revealed two days after Still stated that his 4-year-old daughter Leah’s battle with an uncommon pediatric cancer was progressing.
Before the organization officially announced the trade, Drew Rosenhaus, his agent, tweeted the information.
In a statement, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis stated, “It’s great to have Devon back with us.” “We are aware that he has had a really challenging year. We’re thrilled to be able to provide Devon the chance to pursue his NFL career while he stays committed to Leah’s recuperation.”
was still set to become a restricted free agent with the Bengals on March 10. However, the organization declined to offer him a restricted free agent tender, preferring to offer him a one-year contract that would have required him to sign a low-round tender worth less than $1.54 million. By doing that, the Bengals officially released Still as a free agent, allowing him to speak with other teams.groups. Still needed to consider his daughter’s welfare above all else while considering the Bengals’ offer.
“I’m ready to go back and play football now that it seems like things are headed in the right direction,” Still stated in the team release.
Last fall, Leah was included in a feel-good sports story. Her father gained national attention in September when he was re-added to the Bengals’ 53-man roster, having been waived by the team at the conclusion of training camp. Still, a second-round selection of the Bengals in 2012, was removed a few days after being added to Cincinnati’s practice squad. Before being added to the 53-man roster in Week 2, he was only there for a single week. He continued to participate in 12 games the previous season, recording 19 tackles.
The Bengals could have continued to cover Still’s health insurance when they signed him to the practice squad, allowing him to have Leah’s medical expenses fully covered. He had been informed at the time that herNearly $1 million would be spent on medical bills.
In June, Leah’s physicians announced that she had Stage 4 neuroblastoma, a diagnosis that initially offered her a 50/50 chance of survival.
Her prognosis has significantly improved following procedures to remove a malignant tumor from her stomach, rounds of chemotherapy, and stem-cell treatments. Still revealed on Instagram on Tuesday that Leah’s doctors had not “seen any active disease” in her body.
“We still have to wait for her MRI and bone biopsy results later this week,” Still captioned a photo of himself and Leah showing off their muscular bodies.
Still has stated again that although her doctors have not declared her cancer-free, they “feel very optimistic” that this may change in the near future.
The Bengals raised $1.25 million to support pediatric cancer research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in November during a nationally televised game versus Cleveland. The money was raised by selling Still’s black Bengals jersey with the number 75. That evening, Leah was present, and she has since taken more steps to combat the illness. She and her father collaborated on a children’s book in January with the goal of supporting other families whose children suffer from cancer.
When he returns to Cincinnati later this season, he probably won’t change from his backup position at defensive tackle. During the previous offseason, he
The NFL Honors took place at the Resorts World Theatre on Thursday night, just in front of Super Bowl LVIII (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, CBS), which features the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.
After taking home the trophy in 2019, quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens has now won the MVP award twice. Offensive Player of the Year went to Christian McCaffrey, a standout running back for San Francisco. Offensive Rookie of the Year went to rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans. Myles Garrett, a defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, took home his first Defensive Player of the Year title. Defensive Rookie of the Year went to Will Anderson Jr., a defensive end for the Texans. Kevin Stefanski, the head coach of the Browns, received two votes for Coach of the Year. AdditionallyComeback Player of the Year went to Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco.
Here is a look at the winners and their motivations.
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson’s selection as the NFL’s MVP was expected given that he had been the betting favorite for the previous six weeks.
Jackson is one of a few people to earn NFL Most Valuable Player twice. He became the fifth player in the league’s first six seasons to win multiple MVP honors. Kurt Warner, Brett Favre, Patrick Mahomes, Jim Brown, and others were included.
Jackson was among the top 10 this season in yards per pass attempt (8.0), touchdown-to-interception ratio (3.4), and total QBR (64.7) while leading the Ravens to an NFL-best 13-4 record. Beyond quarterbacks, he also topped the NFL in yards per rush (5.5).
Remaining the greatest tandem in the NFLa threat, accumulating 821 rushing yards and 3,678 passing yards. He is the only player to score more than 3,000 passes and 800 rushes on several occasions, and he won MVP in both of the seasons he achieved this (2019–20 and 2023–24).
On Christmas, Jackson passed quarterback Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers as the front-runner for MVP after leading Baltimore to a 33-19 victory away from San Francisco. A week later, in a 56-19 blowout of the Miami Dolphins, he effectively sealed the title with five touchdown passes and a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Player of the Year for Offense: Christian McCaffrey, running back for the San Francisco 49ers
With the Niners for his first full season, McCaffrey had one of the most prolific seasons in both team and league history. Throughout his 16 games, he topped the NFL in scrimmage yards per game (126.4), scrimmage touchdowns (21), rushing yards (1,459), first downs (114), and 10-plus yard runs (44).
With those performances, McCaffrey was able to enter the NFL record books, win a spot in the Pro Bowl, and be named to the first team of the AP All Pros. With a rushing and receiving score in the same game, McCaffrey increased his career total to 15, tying Marshall Faulk for the most in league history. He also became the third player in NFL history toachieve a season with more than 2,000 scrimmage yards for two different teams.
“Everyone knows those gym rats who never stop working out. One of the most gifted players in the game is a guy like that that we have,” stated Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan. — Wagoner, Nick
Players of the Year in Defense: Les Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns
Garrett finally overcame his early disappointment to win his first NFL Defensive Player of the Year title, having been a contender for several years.
With fourteen sacks, he only came in eighth. However, Garrett led the NFL’s top defense during the regular season. Among several other measures, the Browns lead the league in three-and-out percentage (32.9%), yards per game allowed (267), and defensive efficiency. Garrett faced the third-highest double-team rate (28.8%), but he also finished second in pass rush victory rate (30.5%).
The Browns concluded the season with a four-game winning streak that included a Dec. 28 victory against the Jets that sealed the playoffs. Garrett had 35 pass-rush victories during that time; just one other edge rusher hadover 20 (T.J. Watt of Pittsburgh had 26).
“I understand that sack totals are the main focus,” general manager Andrew Berry stated. “That doesn’t really cover everything. He performed exceptionally well for us in the closing minutes.” — Jake Trotter