Well, not technically we suppose.
Twenty-four hours ago Cedric Benson faced two assault charges in Austin; one from May of 2010 and another in July this year. Benson entered a plea of no contest to both charges on Monday. In the case for the May 2010 assault, Benson will receive 20 days in jail and a $4,000 fine.
According to Assistant Travis County Prosecuting Attorney Corby Holcomb (a name only found in Texas), Benson could serve only about a week in jail and released on good behavior, with a crowding jail situation that may reduce his stay further still. Benson will begin serving his jail sentence on October 17, a day following Cincinnati's game against the Indianapolis Colts during week six. In the case of his July 2011 assault, Benson's assault charge will be dismissed after serving 30 hours of community services and pays restitution to the victim. Both assault charges were packaged into an agreement with the prosecuting attorney.
There's good reason to believe that Benson won't be suspended for either assault charge. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell didn't discipline Benson following his May 2010 assault, nor did Benson receive a letter from the Commissioner regarding any hearing on either matter. Additionally Benson's assault in July 2011 occurred during the league's lockout, a period in which player contracts were in a sense suspended and didn't apply to any labor agreement, therefore not subject to discipline.
With this all said and done, Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer conjectures, Benson may only miss, at most, two practices. Not a bad conclusion to what seemed like a very bad situation for the team's feature back.