OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Steve Smith talks like a man ready to play his final game, though the Baltimore Ravens receiver has not completely closed the door on returning for a 17th NFL season.
The 37-year-old Smith will play in his 219th regular-season game Sunday at Cincinnati. He strongly indicated Wednesday that it will mark the end of a record-breaking career.
He said he's "trying to get to Sunday without crying like a little kid."
But Smith didn't formally announce his retirement. Regarding the season finale Sunday, he said, "For 2016-17 and beyond, it's probably my last game."
Smith broke into the league in 2001 with Carolina and played with the Panthers for 13 seasons before coming to Baltimore in 2014. He announced his retirement before the start of the 2015 season, but after he tore his Achilles tendon in Week 7 decided to return for at least one more year.
Smith ranks seventh in NFL history with 14,697 yards receiving and ranks 12th with 1,028 receptions.
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Bengals: A.J. Green out Week 17
CINCINNATI - Receiver A.J. Green won't play in the Bengals' final game on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, leaving him shy of an NFL record.
Green severely strained his right hamstring on the first pass thrown his way during a loss to Buffalo on Nov 20.
He returned to practice a few weeks ago and expected to play Saturday night in Houston, but was held out after a scan of the leg found the injury hasn't fully healed.
Coach Marvin Lewis said on Wednesday that Green is done for the season. He finished with 66 catches for 964 yards, leaving him 36 yards shy of joining Randy Moss as the only NFL players to top 1,000 yards receiving in each of their first six seasons.
Jets: Khiry Robinson on IR after breaking leg for 3rd time
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - The New York Jets have placed running back Khiry Robinson on injured reserve after he broke his right leg for the third time in 13 months.
Robinson was injured last Saturday in his first game back since breaking the leg in the preseason finale at Philadelphia in September. He was waived/injured on Sept. 4 and re-signed with the Jets on Dec. 7.
Robinson first injured the leg while playing for New Orleans against the Giants on Nov. 1, 2015.
The Jets also announced Wednesday that they signed running back Brandon Burks from the practice squad and signed tight end M.J. McFarland to the practice squad.
Burks, an undrafted free agent out of Troy, was with Green Bay earlier this season before signing with the Jets two weeks ago.
McFarland was signed by Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent out of Texas-El Paso and waived/injured in September.
Bills: E.J. Manuel to start Week 17
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - Aside from having an interim head coach in Anthony Lynn, the Buffalo Bills also have an interim starting quarterback: EJ Manuel.
Without going into detail, Lynn called it "a business decision" to start Manuel in place of Tyrod Taylor in Buffalo's season finale against the New York Jets on Sunday. Both teams are eliminated from playoff contention.
Lynn, who doubles as the team's offensive coordinator, also revealed on Wednesday that he had little - if any input - in making the quarterback switch made a day after Rex Ryan was fired.
In first saying it was "our decision," Lynn later said he "wasn't in the room," when the decision was made. He then added he can't speak for general manager Doug Whaley or owner Terry Pegula.
As for whether he had a preference over who starts, Lynn said the team wants to gauge its depth at quarterback with Manuel being the next in line.
