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.
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.
Before the Bengals made their offer, Henry worried that he might never play in the NFL again.
"To have that taken away from you, that can be really hard," said Henry, who has the NFL's shield tattooed on the back of his right hand. "That would have been a tough thing to go through. I kind of went through that. I was scared at one point that I wouldn't have the opportunity to be back on the field."
The Bengals could use another receiver now that Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson has a sprained left shoulder, suffered during a 27-10 preseason loss to Detroit on Sunday. Johnson waved away reporters trying to get an update on his condition after practice Tuesday.
Henry won't be able to practice with the team during his four-week suspension in the regular season.
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Manning made it to his first practice of the season Tuesday, then ended his self-imposed silence by saying he wanted to play in Indianapolis' first regular-season game Sept. 7 against Chicago - although he couldn't provide a guarantee.
"I've not really had a whole lot to say to tell you the truth," he said. "As to when I'll be back on the practice field, that's still to be determined. Obviously, the sooner, the better for me. My goal is to be back for the first game."
Indy's franchise quarterback had been kept out of public view since having surgery to remove an infected bursa sac from his left knee July 14. Team officials said he was staying away to reduce the risk of another infection.
Falcons release Horn: The Atlanta Falcons have cut veteran wide receiver Joe Horn. The 36-year-old Horn was released by the Falcons, who will receive no return on his guaranteed $2.5 million salary for 2008.
Boldin wants traded: Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin asked to be traded, saying he doesn't feel his situation can be resolved and declaring he has no relationship with coach Ken Whisenhunt.
"I'm a football player. That's about it," Boldin said when asked to characterize his dealings with the coach these days.
A team spokesman said the Cardinals have no plans to trade the sixth-year standout and still hope to sign him to a contract extension.
Whisenhunt sounded puzzled when discussing reports that Boldin had said he was no longer speaking to the coach.
"We've been communicating," he said. "If communicating is talking, that's what we have been doing at practice. As we go forward, I don't know. I don't foresee anything changing. If it does, it's in his court."
Boldin offered a glimpse of his talent late in Tuesday's workout, splitting a pair of defenders on a slant route during a 2-minute drill. He made a nimble catch on a bullet thrown by Kurt Warner for a 25-yard gain.
But with training camp starting to wind down, Boldin made it sound as if it was a tortured three weeks off the field.
The two-time Pro Bowl player, who blasted team officials as camp opened, claims the Cardinals reneged on an offer to re-negotiate his contract.
He has three years left on the four-year, $22.75 million extension he signed after the 2005 season that keeps him under contract through 2010. He's making an average of $4 million a year.
"It's a tough situation, especially when you come into a working environment," Boldin said after practice. "But my job is to stay professional. I'm going to do what I'm supposed to do."
Although Boldin previously denied asking for a trade, he said Tuesday that his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has asked the Cardinals to consider it now.
"At the beginning of camp, I hadn't asked for a trade," Boldin said. "As of recently, we did."
Asked if he believes his standoff with Arizona can be resolved, Boldin shook his head and simply said, "No."
Teammate Larry Fitzgerald signed a four-year $40 million, deal after last season, with $30 million guaranteed, but Boldin has said he believes Fitzgerald earned the deal and that's not why he's unhappy.
Boldin is one of the NFL's top receivers. He reached 400 career receptions faster than any other player, doing it in 67 games. In five seasons, Boldin has 413 receptions for 5,458 yards and 29 touchdowns.
"If I'm not going to be treated fairly, if my hard work and loyalty isn't going to be rewarded here, then let me go somewhere where it's going to be rewarded. That's how I feel," Boldin said.
Boldin accused Whisenhunt of getting too involved with his contract talks, suggesting that's why they haven't moved forward, but he wasn't specific.
"That's where it became a problem," Boldin said. "Honestly, I think it should be completely separated. I think that's why we have a department that deals with that."
Whisenhunt said it's not an issue, noting that it's not unusual for NFL players to lobby for a new contract through the media.
"Nothing has changed from a few weeks ago," Whisenhunt said. "I feel the exact same way about Anquan. He is a good football player. The Cardinals have extended his contract once, tried to do it again, and our intent is to do it the first chance we get."
Boldin said he's not worried about whether the dispute could hurt his reputation with fans.
"Anybody that knows me, that knows what kind of guy I am, they know I'm a hard worker," he said. "I'm a guy that does the right things, on and off the field. I'm not worried about my reputation being tarnished for me telling the truth."