Henry rejoins Bengals, still must serve four-game ban

CINCINNATI -- Receiver Chris Henry is back with the Cincinnati Bengals because their owner has a soft spot for troubled players.

Henry signed a two-year deal Tuesday with the team that let him go after he was arrested for the fifth time, a decision that seemed to mark a change in philosophy for owner Mike Brown. Instead, it was an aberration. The Bengals took him back at Brown's behest.

Coach Marvin Lewis, who had no interest in bringing back the troubled receiver, said Brown wanted to give Henry yet another chance.

"I obviously know that at the end of the day, that the owner has the final say-so on whether or not he wants to give a guy an opportunity or not," Lewis said, following an evening practice. "Mike has wanted to give Chris this opportunity, and asks that we do the best job that we can to try to prepare him and get him ready to play football."

The Bengals released Henry after he was accused of punching a college student and breaking his car window with a beer bottle in March. Henry was one of 10 Bengals arrested during a 14-month span -- a local judge referred to the receiver as a "one-man crime wave."

The decision to let Henry go seemed to mark a major change for the Bengals owner.

"His conduct can no longer be tolerated," Brown said at the time. "The Bengals tried for an extended period of time to support Chris and his potentially bright career. We had hoped to guide him toward an appropriate standard of personal responsibility that this community would support and that would allow him to play in the NFL. ... But those efforts end today, as we move on with what is best for our team."

Brown declined to be interviewed Tuesday about his change of heart. However, during an interview last month, Brown said he still believed in giving players chances to change their lives.

"I guess the world is divided up between redeemers and non-redeemers," Brown said at the time. "I happen to be a redeemer. I think people can be made better and right. If that's a fault, so be it."

Henry has been in trouble repeatedly since the Bengals drafted him in the third round in 2005. Henry was suspended by the league for two games in 2006 and for the first eight games of last season for repeatedly violating its conduct policies.

He was suspended indefinitely by the league following his latest arrest, the one that led the Bengals to release him. After a mistrial, prosecutors dropped the charges against Henry and his suspension was reduced to four games.

Henry said the Bengals were the only team willing to offer a contract at this time.

"My agents spoke with other teams, but as far as signing, there was none of them," Henry said, dressed in street clothes while the team finished practice.