Bengals running back Jeremy Hill is having season-ending ankle surgery for an injury that coach Marvin Lewis says didn’t have to end Hill’s season.

Lewis said on Monday that two doctors agreed that Hill could have played the rest of the season on his ankle and had surgery after the season, but Hill chose to do it now.

“Jeremy thinks he needs to have ankle surgery,” Lewis said, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Yeah, I think I would be [surprised]. I think he’s consulted a couple physicians, both said that this was something that could wait until after the season but he just felt like it was causing too much discomfort.”

Hill hadn’t been on the Bengals’ official injury report and Lewis said he didn’t need to be, because he wasn’t experiencing any issues that would indicate he couldn’t play.

Related players: Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard, Ryan Hewitt

As the story said, it doesn't seem like Lewis and Hill are on the same page here. Hill is clearly looking out for his future and wants to be ready to go next season. He's in the last year of his contract and it seems unlikely he'll be back with Mixon in the fold. As for Mixon, it looks like he'll be getting the bigger workload he's been looking for with Bernard remaining the third-down and change-of-pace back.

Bengals placed RB Jeremy Hill (ankle) on Reserve/Injured list.

Related players: Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard

Joe Mixon's competition for early-down and goal-line touches is now out for the year. He should maintain RB2 value for the rest of the season, with Giovani Bernard still mixing in with Mixon. The offensive line is still a major issue here, though, as Mixon has averaged fewer than three yards per carry.

Nobody can pin down exactly how the Bengals’ rotation of running backs Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill and Joe Mixon will look in its debut Sunday against Baltimore.

The coaching staff stayed understandably tight-lipped and players are adopting the do-what-I’m-asked mentality. Jeremy Hill is listed as the starter and expected to start. Signs point to Giovani Bernard continuing to hold down his role on third downs.

What we do know is the team won’t be sacrificing creating a flow in order to distribute the perfect amount of touches. Allowing each player to find a rhythm tops the priority list.

“The flow is more important than the touches,” running backs coach Kyle Caskey said. “You see it in the preseason when we are forced to put guys in because we want to get them playing time. We are more worried about touches in the preseason and play numbers and play counts. In the regular season we are more worried about production and winning.”

We will learn much more about the Bengals approach to this rotation coming out of the opener, but it’s fair to say even the team can’t say for sure how the touches will unfold.

“You plan initially for it and try to put guys in the right places for what their talents can do and once the game gets going there is a flow to it,” Caskey said. “If a guy does have a little juice to him at that time then you stick with him.”

Mixon is a dicey start in Week 1 since Hill is still technically the starter and Bernard is a good player who will get some work as well. The expectation is that Mixon will eventually earn starter's touches, but of the notable rookie running backs -- Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey -- Mixon's early-season role is the most murky.

The Cincinnati Bengals released their first depth chart of the regular season on Tuesday, giving a first glimpse at the 53-man pecking order prior to their season opener against the Ravens.

Jeremy Hill is listed as the starting running back on the updated depth chart, followed by Giovani Bernard and then rookie Joe Mixon. That's essentially the order it's been in throughout the preseason, so it's not a surprise.

The writer went on to say the Bengals will likely lean on Hill to start the season, with Bernard and Mixon alternating as the pass-catching and change-of-pace backs. Expect Hill to get the first nod in most situations as the season gets underway.

Giovani Bernard saw game action for the first time since last November when he tore the anterior crucicate ligament in his left knee.

His first carry came on the final play of the first quarter Sunday against Washington. Bernard gained 2 yards. He finished the first half with four carries for 25 yards in 15 offensive snaps.

Related players: Joe Mixon, Jeremy Hill

Bernard spent almost the entire offseason in Cincinnati, rehabbing to get back after undergoing major knee surgery in November. The Bengals cleared him to practice the first day of training camp July 28, a remarkable recovery. Right now, it's a crowded back field in Cincy with Hill and Mixon also in the mix for carries.

Bengals beat writer Jim Owczarski was asked how long it would be before Jeremy Hill was no longer the starting running back.

"I’m not quite sure why this matters so much, who 'starts.' Outside of quarterback, it doesn’t really mean much. Unless Jeremy Hill is injured or is absolutely terrible, he’ll start all season."

Related players: Joe Mixon, Giovani Bernard

Who "starts" definitely matters for fantasy purposes. The starting running back gets the first chance to shine, and probably gets the most snaps and touches. Owczarski's assertion that Hill could start all season comes on the heels of the release of the team's depth chart which showed Hill as the starter and rookie Joe Mixon as third-string. Hill hasn't been very good the last two years, which prompted the pick of the talented but not-without-baggage Mixon in the draft. Mixon likely has a role right away, but with his ADP in the third round, owners are expecting much more in Week 1.