Dallas Gives Deion New Deal

September 23, 1998 / 6:05 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Despite salary-cap problems and
Deion Sanders' nagging toe injury, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has agreed on a contract extension for the All-Pro cornerback.

Jones conceded Thursday that the decision is a calculated risk.

"We really don't know if he's going to play at the level we'd like for him to," Jones told reporters at Valley Ranch, where players were concluding a three-day mini-camp.

"But when I look at what our alternatives are and when I look at what he can bring to the table for our team this year, it's worth the risk."

Jones refused to discuss terms of the agreement in principle, which still must pass muster with the NFL. He said the deal was nearly complete but might be delayed until early next week as details are finalized.

The extension is expected to be surpass the largest contract for an NFL cornerback, a four-year, $22.8 million deal that Dale Carter signed recently with the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Jones said the contract might not be as long as some had expected.

"It's shorter than I hope his career is," Jones said. "But it's a step in that direction. I would hope he could finish his career here, but this contract doesn't necessarily accomplish that."

Sanders, still sidelined from a turf toe injury he suffered on Nov. 15, attended workouts on Friday but did not practice. Sanders did not discuss his contract situation with reporters.

Jones said negotiations were complicated by both the Cowboys' limited salary-cap room and the uncertainty surrounding Sanders' injury. The contract is expected to include incentive clauses to ensure that Sanders gets paid in full only if he performs up to expectations.

"We're very excited about the possibility of having Deion on the field," coach Chan Gailey said.

Jones and Sanders' agent, Eugene Parker, negotiated a seven-year, $35 million contract that brought Sanders from San Francisco to Dallas in 1995. The pact included a then-record $12.99 million signing bonus as well as 10 incentive clauses that would, if reached, allow Sanders to void his contract's final two years.

Sanders underwent toe surgery April 28. The team said last month that recovery was expected to take another three to four months, lasting at least into the preseason. Dallas starts the season Sept. 12 at Washington.