Jul 14th 2008 10:21AM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: Bengals, NFL Police Blotter
Assault charges have been dropped against former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, meaning it’s possible that Henry could be allowed back in the NFL this year.
Henry was arrested and charged with assault in April, cut by the Bengals shortly after and stood trial in June. When that trial ended with a hung jury, he was expected to go on trial again, but instead prosecutors dropped the charges today.
Henry was indefinitely suspended by the NFL following the most recent arrest, but with the charges dropped, he will probably be allowed to sign with another team. The question is whether anyone wants him: Henry is a fine player, but he’s not a superstar, and most teams will conclude that his talents aren’t worth the headaches he brings with him.
Still, it only takes one team to show interest, and considering that Henry is totally broke, he’s going to be motivated to find work somewhere. I’d say it’s still less than 50-50 that he plays in the NFL this year, but his odds just went up substantially.
