Lions Reject Sanders’ Offer

If Barry Sanders decides to return to the NFL, it won’t be with the Detroit Lions, according to his agent.

David Ware said Tuesday night that Sanders hasn’t indicated whether he would return, but said there is “no way” he would play for the Lions.

“I’d be hopeful, obviously, that in the right situation that he would consider it,” Ware said in Detroit. “I’ve just tried to put together something he might consider. He doesn’t like to deal in hypotheticals.”

Sanders, the No. 2 rusher on the NFL’s career list who retired in July, has offered to repay $5.4 million of his signing bonus if the Lions release or trade him this season, Ware said. He said he made the offer to Detroit on Monday but that the team rejected it.

“We were little nonplused . . . because they know that he won’t play for them,” he said.

Sanders, 31, “definitely would return,” if the Lions would accommodate him, a source close to the running back told ESPN for a story appearing Tuesday on its Web site.

“Our position remains the same--that we honored his retirement wishes and we expected the repayment of the prorated portion,” Lion spokesman Bill Keenist said.

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Dallas Cowboy defensive tackle Leon Lett will not play the next seven games as punishment for his fifth violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy.

Lett, 30, had been suspended indefinitely since June 4 and missed the team’s opening victory at Washington on Sunday. The NFL’s ruling will allow the former Pro Bowl player to rejoin the Cowboys for the Nov. 14 home game against Green Bay--if he has no further violations.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue also told Lett he will be suspended for at least one year should he violate the substance abuse policy again.

Meanwhile, the injury-plagued career of Quentin Coryatt, 29, ended with the linebacker telling the Cowboys he won’t be joining them this year.

Coryatt, whom Indianapolis took with the No. 2 pick in the 1992 draft, reaggravated an old Achilles’ tendon injury and was having trouble with his reconstructed left shoulder after signing with the Cowboys in April.

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The Green Bay Packers shored up their kicking game by signing free-agent punter Louie Aguiar. Rookie punter Chris Hanson was waived. Aguiar, 33, was waived Sept. 5 after five seasons in Kansas City. . . . The NFL will return to Japan next August for the 10th time when Dallas plays an exhibition game against Atlanta in the Tokyo Dome.