Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Friday that defensive end Jared Allen has been ruled out for Sunday’s NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals with a foot injury.

Kony Ealy will start in his place.

Allen expressed frustration over the decision as he walked out of the locker room, saying he was ‘‘disappointed’’ and feels healthy enough to play.

Rivera says it was a difficult decision, saying Allen is a ‘‘warrior.’’

Allen broke a bone in his foot in the fourth quarter of Carolina’s 31-24 win over Seattle last Sunday. Allen practiced on Thursday raising some hope that he might play.

Rivera he’s hoping Allen would be ready to play in two weeks in the Super Bowl if Carolina were to win Sunday.

Ryan: Smith has earned job

Bills coach Rex Ryan remembers the first moment he had an inkling of Kathryn Smith’s potential to one day become an assistant coaching candidate.

It happened two years ago when both were with the New York Jets, shortly after Ryan made Smith his assistant. Ryan was preparing a game plan and couldn’t recall the exact formation the opposing team used in running a play a few seasons earlier. In the few hours it took Ryan to coach practice and return to his office, Smith had found the play, drew it up, and had it on the coach’s television screen.

‘‘She goes, ‘I believe this is the play you were referring to,’ ’’ Ryan said Friday. ‘‘And I’m like, ‘Oh, my goodness. And it was.’ ’’

Ryan shared the recollection during his first session with the media since promoting Smith to his staff Wednesday and making her the NFL’s first full-time female assistant coach.

For all buzz the gender-breaking move made, Ryan said his decision was based solely on his belief that Smith is more than capable of handling the entry-level job of Bills special teams quality control coach.

‘‘I recognize the significance of the hire and things like that. But for me, I was just concerned with getting somebody that can be successful in that role,’’ he said. ‘‘I just thought it was a natural thing. No. 1, I think she can do the job.’’

Ryan first saw promise in Smith after taking over as Jets coach in 2009, when she was working as the team’s player personnel assistant. And when he was hired by the Bills a year ago, Ryan made sure Smith and Laura Young, a former assistant in New York, had roles in Buffalo.

Young reclaimed her job as Ryan’s assistant, and Smith became an administrative assistant for Buffalo’s assistant coaches. The job provided Smith a chance to interact with the Bills staff, including special teams coordinator Danny Crossman, who had her work on several projects.

Smith, 30, did such a good job that she became Ryan’s top candidate to replace Michael Hamlin, who was not retained after the season.

‘‘I think while maybe she never knew it at the time, and I never knew it maybe at the time, but I was giving her training to get this,’’ Ryan said.

Seahawks’ Lynch set to retire?Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch may be ‘‘leaning toward retirement,’’ general manager John Schneider said in a pair of radio interviews.

Schneider said in separate interviews that he believes Lynch is leaning toward calling it a career after an injury-filled 2015 season. Schneider first appeared on KIRO, the team’s flagship station, saying the team was going to give Lynch time and leeway to decide what he wants to do, but added he was ‘‘under the impression,’’ Lynch was leaning toward retirement.

Later on KJR, Schneider hedged his comments slightly, but reiterated that he thought Lynch was considering stepping away. ‘‘I really, honestly don’t know at this point,’’ Schneider said. ‘‘If you put a gun to my head I would say he is leaning toward retirement. But I think with Marshawn you never really know. He’s a fierce competitor. We just have to handle it the right way in terms of showing him as much respect as we possibly can for everything he’s done for this organization.’’

Lynch was limited to just seven regular-season games in 2015, first bothered by hamstring and calf issues and later missing the final seven regular-season games with an abdominal injury that required surgery. Lynch returned for the NFC divisional playoff game at Carolina but was mostly a non-factor with the Seahawks falling behind 14-0 in the opening moments of the loss.

Lynch, 29, was limited to just 111 carries and 417 yards in the regular season, the first season of his career where injuries have been a significant factor. There’s also the financial consideration. Lynch would cost the Seahawks $11.5 million against the salary cap for the 2016 season, a massive number for a running back of his age.

96 players get OK to enter draft

Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry of Alabama and Ohio State stars Joey Bosa and Ezekiel Elliott are among 96 players granted early entry into the NFL Draft. The NFL also gave clearance to enter the draft to 11 other players who have graduated with eligibility remaining, including Florida State kicker Roberto Aguayo. The 96 early entrants are up 22 from last year, but still short of the 98 who declared for the 2014 draft. Ohio State, with nine, had the most players on the list. Joining Bosa, who could be the top overall pick, and Elliott are quarterback Cardale Jones and All-America safety Vonn Bell . . . George Boone, a longtime player personnel executive for the Arizona Cardinals, died at the age of 77 in Tempe, Ariz. . . . The Jaguars gave coach Gus Bradley a one-year contract extension and promoted Todd Wash to defensive coordinator. Bradley is 12-36 in three seasons.