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Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill has elected to undergo season-ending ankle surgery, but head coach Marvin Lewis seems to think the decision was premature. Hill landed on the injured reserve list Saturday ahead of the team's 24-20 loss at Tennessee, one week after hurting his ankle in the final practice before the Week 9 game at Jacksonville. He was scratched from that game and did not practice all last week; however, Lewis said he was surprised to learn Hill had decided to end his season with surgery. "I think he's consulted a couple physicians," Lewis said Monday. "Both said this is something that could wait until after the season, and he just felt like it was causing too much discomfort." The 25-year-old had left a preseason game Aug. 27 against the Redskins with an ankle injury, but Lewis said the current injury is unrelated. "I don't think he had any instance of it since this August," Lewis said. "He rolled his ankle in training camp, or warm-ups in a game -- I can't remember, but one of those times in the preseason. But that's the only instance he had this fall." Hill, who becomes a free agent in 2018, started in seven games and rushed for just 116 yards on 37 attempts -- 3.1 yards per carry. This is his first season without a touchdown after recording 29 touchdowns in his first three years in the league. The Bengals now are down to two running backs, Giovani Bernard and rookie Joe Mixon, a second-round draft pick out of Oklahoma. "We will address that as we move forward now that [Hill's] situation has been clarified," Lewis said.
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