Raiders Rework Johnathan Hankins’ Deal
The Raiders converted the $1.75MM roster bonus due to defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins this offseason into a signing bonus, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The adjustment prorates his bonus over the next two years and indicates that he’ll be a part of the team’s plans for 2020 and beyond. 
Hankins has turned in a solid 2019 with starts in all 15 of his games for the Raiders. With one game to go, he’s got 48 tackles and one sack on his stat sheet, including 30 solo tackles – tying him for 21st among all NFL interior defensive linemen.
Hankins joined the Raiders on a two-year, $8.5MM deal prior to the 2019 season. He’s slated to earn a $3.75MM base salary next year before reaching the open market, but the Raiders won’t let him get away if he keeps up the good work. Hankins, 28 in March, could be in line for an extension this offseason.
Before that, Hankins will round out the 2019 regular season in a Week 17 matchup against the Broncos. Hankins & Co. will be playing for more than pride – with a win, and lots of luck elsewhere, they could sneak into the playoffs.
Colts’ Ryan Kelly Eyeing Extension
As he enters the fifth and final season of his rookie deal, center Ryan Kelly is eyeing a new deal that will keep him with the Colts for the long run, as Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star writes. 
“Hopefully they value what I do,” Kelly said. “If not, then I understand. But I love it here. I want to stay here. This is my home. I got a house here because I love the city. The guys in the room, I love what we’ve developed on this team. It’s certainly a lot different than it was when I first walked in the door Day 1. Time will tell. But right now, yeah, this is definitely where I want to be.”
Kelly earned $3.325MM this year and he’ll see a bump to $10.35MM under the fifth-year option in 2020. A new deal might only give the Colts a slight bit of cap relief – he’s likely looking at an average annual salary of $9-$12MM, putting him in line with the upper crust of NFL centers.
Recent extensions for Bucs centers Ryan Jensen and Bills center Mitch Morse figure to be comps for Kelly, a former first-round pick. Jensen inked a four-year, $42MM deal with Tampa Bay prior to the 2018 season with $22MM guaranteed. Morse, meanwhile, landed a four-year, $44.5MM deal with Buffalo in March, making him the league’s highest-paid center in terms of overall dollars. That deal included $26.175MM in practically guaranteed dollars – the fourth-highest at the position.
Thanks in large part to Kelly, the Colts boast one of the league’s top offensive lines in the NFL. They won’t qualify for the playoffs this year, but a new long-term deal with Kelly could position them well for 2021 and beyond.
Texans Designate J.J. Watt For Return
The Texans will officially designate star defensive end J.J. Watt to return from the injured reserve list, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Watt has been sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle since Week 8, but this move will open the door for a playoff return.
Watt’s return to practice will open up a 21-day window for him to be added to the active roster. Considering he underwent pec surgery just eight weeks ago, it’s a remarkably fast turn around. Typically, pectoral surgery patients require three-to-four months of recovery time.
Watt’s no stranger to overcoming injuries – he’s return from two herniated disc surgeries and a tibial plateau operation. At the age of 30, this could be his toughest challenge yet.
If he’s able to retake the field, it’ll be a boon for the Texans’ chances in the playoffs. Watt was double teamed 30% of the time on his edge rusher snaps this year, more than any other qualifying player in the NFL.
The Texans have already locked down the AFC South in advance of their Week 17 matchup against the Titans. They’re currently slated to host the Bills on Wild Card weekend as the AFC’s No. 4 seed.
Steelers Place Mason Rudolph On IR
The Steelers have placed quarterback Mason Rudolph on injured reserve, per a club announcement. To fill his roster spot, they promoted center J.C. Hassenauer from the practice squad. 
Rudolph took over for Devlin Hodges in last week’s game against the Jets and took them from a 10-0 deficit to a 10-10 tie. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury forced him out of the game, and the Steelers went on to lose 16-10.
Without Rudolph, the Steelers will forge ahead with Devlin Hodges as their starter against the Ravens. Rudolph’s season ends with a 5-3 record in eight starts and 13 touchdowns against nine interceptions. Rudolph had his moments as Ben Roethlisberger‘s fill-in this year, but he also had a rocky stretch that resulted in getting leapfrogged by Duck.
Hodges and Paxton Lynch will serve as the only QBs on the roster for Week 17 as the Steelers fight for a wild card spot. There are a few scenarios that could put the Steelers in the playoffs, but the simplest one is this – if the Steelers win and the Titans lose, they’re in.
Seahawks Sign Marshawn Lynch
It’s officially official. The Seahawks have announced the signing of running back Marshawn Lynch, reuniting them with their one-time superstar just before the final game of the regular season. 
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but we do know that it’s a one-year pact. Lynch will join the Seahawks for the Week 17 and the postseason – beyond that, no one knows what Beast Mode might do.
Lynch, 33, is no stranger to weaving in and out of retirement. This time around, however, he didn’t have to file any paperwork to return to the field. Lynch never formally retired from the NFL, he was just assumed to be done with football after completing his Raiders obligation.
Lynch made amends with Pete Carroll & Co. after their split years ago and is ready to hold down the fort following season-ending injuries to Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, and Rashaad Penny. In addition to Beast Mode, the Seahawks also called upon Bobby Turbo (Robert Turbin, that is) to help in their pivotal game against the 49ers.
Lynch rushed for 376 yards and three touchdowns in his six games with the Raiders last year. He topped 1,200 yards in four straight seasons with the Seahawks (2011-2014) and led the league in rushing touchdowns in ’13 and ’14. Lynch lost much of the 2015 season to a hernia injury and, as he said this week, he has “unfinished business” to address in Seattle.
Dolphins To Sign Samaje Perine
The Dolphins are signing former Redskins starting running back Samaje Perine off the Bengals’ practice squad, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport adds that Perine is in the team’s plans for next year, so it sounds like his deal will also cover the 2020 season.
In the near term, Perine will help fill in for running back Myles Gaskin, who suffered an ankle injury on Sunday. That injury left Miami with only two healthy running backs on their roster: Patrick Laird, who has earned three starts this season, and De’Lance Turner. The position has been a revolving door for the Dolphins this year, with four running backs – Laird, Kenyan Drake, Mark Walton, and Kalen Ballage – garnering starts.
The Redskins used a 2017 fourth-rounder to select Perine, a former Oklahoma standout. He broke onto the season quickly for Washington, earning a start in his third career game. The running back continued to show flashes during his rookie campaign, compiling 603 rushing yards and one touchdown on 175 carries (to go along with another 22 receptions for 182 yards and one score).
Perine found himself playing behind Adrian Peterson in 2018, and he was waived by Washington at the end of the 2019 preseason. He was claimed off waivers by the Bengals, and he landed on their practice squad after a brief stint on the active roster.
Steelers Believe Ben Roethlisberger Will Make Full Recovery
The Steelers believe quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will make a full recovery from his elbow surgery, ESPN.com’s Chris Mortensen (on Twitter) hears. Big Ben went under the knife on Sept. 23 to reattach three tendons in his right arm, but team doctors seem to think that he’ll be good to go in 2020.
Although the veteran has not been cleared to resume throwing, Roethlisberger is trending in that direction. The Steelers, meanwhile, are keeping their fingers crossed, since Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges haven’t been consistent in his stead.
Roethlisberger, 38 in March, recently inked a lucrative contract extension that will should him under club control through 2021. At the time, GM Kevin Colbert said that the contract would likely be Big Ben’s last.
“What [Roethlisberger] wants is more Super Bowls. And he wants to continue to try to win, and we’re gonna support that,” Colbert said. “And that was a big part of why we were willing to do what we did, and now it’s our job to help him help us get there.”
Big Ben has earned six Pro Bowl nods in his 16-year career. Without him for most of the season, the Steelers have still managed an 8-7 record, setting them up for a do-or-die Week 17 game against the Ravens. A Steelers win coupled with a Titans loss to the Texans would give them a Wild Card berth and a shot at another ring.
Eagles’ Ronald Darby Suffers Hip Injury
Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby is dealing with a strain in his hip and is expected to miss a couple weeks, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The good news is that Darby does not need surgery, so he’s looking at a recovery timetable that will be measured in weeks, rather than months. 
At minimum, it sounds like Darby will be sidelined for the Eagles’ regular season finale against the Giants. But, with some luck, he’ll be able to rejoin the team for the playoffs, if they qualify. A win against the Giants will lock the Eagles in for the NFC East title. If they lose, they’ll need the Redskins to beat the Cowboys in order to make the playoffs.
This isn’t Darby’s first time getting banged up this season, as he missed four games earlier this year when Philly’s secondary was truly in shambles. He’s struggled with health issues in each of his three seasons with the Eagles now, as he played in only nine games last year and eight in 2017.
Darby hadn’t been playing that well this season, but he’s still a full-time starter and it’s a big blow to the defense. Head coach Doug Pederson announced that Rasul Douglas will start opposite Jalen Mills in Darby’s place. Darby will be a free agent this spring, and it’s highly possible that the 2015 second-round pick of the Bills has played his last down as an Eagle.
Bengals Place A.J. Green On IR
A.J. Green‘s season is officially over. On Monday, the Bengals placed the wide receiver on injured reserve. 
Green, at one point, was hoping to take the field before the end of the 2019 season. But, with little to play for, the Bengals have opted against trotting Green out in the season finale against the Browns.
With that, Green’s campaign will end without a single snap. In theory, this could also mark the end of his Bengals career. The star receiver is set for free agency in March, though the Bengals could work out an extension with him, or cuff him with the franchise tag.
Green, of course, does not want to be tagged, but he also says he won’t hold out if the Bengals go that route.
“I have no problem with the franchise (tag). I don’t like it, but I’m not a guy that’s going to sit out the whole year,” Green said. “But at the end of the day, that shows me they’re not committed to me. That’s fine. They have a business they have to run. As the player I have my own business, so if you do that I have to protect myself.”
“If you’re not committed to me long-term, I understand. There are no hard feelings. You have a business to run. All great businesses face difficult decisions. I understand that. For me, I have to make a big decision as well.”
To date, Green has 602 catches for 8,907 yards and 63 touchdowns, all with the Bengals. He still has his eye on a handful of remaining franchise records, including Chad Johnson’s watermarks for most receiving yards (10,784), catches (752), and touchdowns (70).
Latest On Seahawks, Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch will take a physical for the Seahawks on Monday and “both sides are optimistic he is back wearing [No.] 24,” a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Seahawks To Meet With Marshawn Lynch]
If signed, Lynch can participate in a huge Week 17 game for the Seahawks. With a win over the 49ers, the Seahawks can capture the NFC West division and, possibly, a first-round bye, depending on how the Packers fare on Monday night.
Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll is optimistic about a possible reunion.
“He’ll be flying in here this morning and we’re gonna give him a really good chance to come back and play for us, Carroll said on 710 ESPN. “I think it’s freakin’ great if he could get back out there and tote the ball for us.”
Following injuries to Chris Carson, C.J. Prosise, and Rashaad Penny, the Seahawks are in desperate need of backfield help. Lynch might be a bit rusty, but he offers a wealth of experience and familiarity with the Seahawks’ offense. The Seahawks are hoping that Lynch can get back in the groove, starting this week, and help them in their quest for another Super Bowl ring.
If things don’t work out with Lynch, the Seahawks could also consider fellow veteran running back Robert Turbin.