There was a new face belonging to an old friend in the Cincinnati Bengals locker room Thursday as safety Chris Crocker rejoined the team.

Crocker spent four seasons with the Bengals from 2008-11, starting all 16 regular-season games at strong safety as well as the wild-card playoff loss in Houston before having his contract terminated April 6.

“It’s business. I don’t hold grudges,” Crocker said between good-natured heckles and back-slaps from his new/old teammates. “I’m still able-bodied, and obviously they have a need. I’ll let it all loose this weekend. It’s exciting just to be back and just to see all the guys and to be accepted. I’m ready to play.”

Crocker joins a secondary that has been hindered by injuries and underperformance this season.

Safeties Jeromy Miles and Taylor Mays have struggled at times in the first three games, and starting cornerbacks Leon Hall (hamstring) and Nate Clements (calf) are questionable for Sunday’s game at Jacksonville after missing practice Wednesday and Thursday.

Cornerback Jason Allen (thigh) also missed practice Thursday after making his season debut Sunday in Washington, and first-round draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) has only had a handful of practices since the start of training camp.

Crocker was plagued by a series of injuries during his time in Cincinnati, but he said he has spent the last five months working out and rehabbing his knee at home in Atlanta.

“I’ve had a lot of time to do things on my own and rehab and get healthy at my own pace,” he said. “I’m ready to go. I haven’t been sitting at home, eating Twinkies and having my feet kicked up.”

While the signing was made official Thursday, Crocker had been having discussions with the Bengals coaching staff.

“We had talked two or three weeks ago about the possibility of bringing him back,” defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said. “This isn’t just out of the blue. He brings some stability in the back end, something that we probably need a little bit right now. He’s a calming influence.”

Crocker played an estimated 962 out of a possible 1,009 defensive snaps last year, second only to safety Reggie Nelson’s 994.

But Crocker struggled in the playoff game in Houston, dropping an interception and getting run over by Arian Foster on a 42-yard touchdown run.

“I wasn’t too pleased with how I played, but I get to right that wrong over the next couple of weeks,” Crocker said. “It wasn’t my best game, but I really haven’t dwelled on it.”

Zimmer said he anticipates Hall and Clements will be ready to play against the Jaguars.

Crocker said he will be ready to play as well.

Pacman appealing: Cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones said he is appealing the $15,750 fine he received for a horse-collar tackle of Alfred Morris in the third quarter of Sunday’s game at Washington.

“They thought it was a horse collar, but it wasn’t,” Jones said. “I had his jersey the whole time. But the amount was ridiculous - $15,000 – for the first time?”

The NFL fine schedule lists $15,575 as the minimum fine for the first offense of a horse collar. When originally put in place, the rule outlawed tackling a runner by grabbing the back or inside of the shoulder pads, but it was later revised to include the back of the jersey, so there may not be a case for appeal.

Jones also divulged Thursday that he was fined $75,000 earlier this season for the July 2011 incident in which he was arrested for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and resisting arrest outside of a Cincinnati bar.