The Cincinnati Bengals receiver was in the locker room but barred from the practice field Monday, the start of his two-game suspension for violating NFL policies on conduct and substance abuse.

Henry is the second Bengals player suspended by the league. Middle linebacker Odell Thurman was suspended without pay for the season after he was arrested on a drunken driving charge on Sept. 25.

In all, six Bengals players have been arrested this year on various charges, making them grist for comedians' monologues on late-night television, and a stain on the franchise's revival.

``The things that have happened have been to our young guys,'' 13th-year veteran Rich Braham said Monday. ``I hope the other young guys can see that if you're starting down the wrong path, you're not going to be around for long. They're not going to put up with anything anymore.''

The NFL suspended Henry without pay and fined him an additional US$20,000 on Friday, when the team had a three-day weekend for its bye. Henry's salary is $350,000, so the punishment will cost him roughly $60,000.

Thurman, another second-year player, was suspended for the first four games after missing a drug test. The punishment was extended after his arrest last month, which will cost him $350,000 in salary.

The suspensions have forced the Bengals (3-1) to rearrange their defence and dig deeper into their corps of receivers.

``As professionals, we all have to realize that it's not just what we do on the field,'' receiver Kelley Washington said. ``What we do off the field has a big impact on the team. You've got to be smart and keep your head on.''

There was no surprise over the crackdown on player misbehaviour.

First-year commissioner Roger Goodell met with the players during a visit to the city last month and reminded them of their responsibility to stay out of trouble. Five days later, Thurman was arrested on the drunken driving charge. Henry was a passenger in the vehicle, but wasn't charged in that incident.

However, Henry has been arrested four times since last December. He has pleaded guilty to marijuana possession and a gun charge, and has two other cases pending that could bring jail time or additional punishment.

Henry is allowed to attend team meetings and work out individually at Paul Brown Stadium during his two-game suspension, but can't practice or play against Tampa Bay or Carolina.

He walked briskly through the locker room Monday with a cell phone to his ear, not pausing to talk. Coach Marvin Lewis also declined to discuss the team's second suspension of the season.

Lewis had defended his players until last month, when Thurman was arrested with Henry in the vehicle. Lewis took Thurman's locker away from him and told him to stay away from the team for the rest of the season. He also benched Henry for the next game, a 38-13 loss to New England.

``It's old news,'' Lewis said Monday. ``Nothing is different. This is something that went on since September. It's nothing we expected differently.''