Lions & Sanders Face Arbitrator

December 31, 1999 / 12:33 PM EST / CBS/AP

Barry Sanders and the Detroit Lions are scheduled to go before an arbitrator Jan. 11 on the team's demand he repay $5.5 million of an $11 million signing bonus, the NFL said today.

Sanders retired July 28, two days before the start of training camp. He had played two years of a six-year, $36 million contract signed in 1997.

The meeting is set for San Francisco, NFL vice president Greg Aiello said from New York.

The NFL's Management Council will represent the Lions in the matter because it involves the league's union contract with the players, Aiello said.

A hearing scheduled for earlier this month was postponed because Sanders' agents David Ware of Atlanta and Lamont Smith of Denver were on vacation.

Sam Kagel will serve as arbitrator, Aiello said. He said he did not know when a ruling would come, but The Detroit News said it is expected before March 1.

Sanders retired after 10 seasons with the Lions with 15,269 career rushing yards, second in NFL history to the late Walter Payton's 16,726.

Lions management claims the signing bonus is covered by a rider, separate from the standard player's contract, that requires Sanders to repay the prorated portion of the bonus if he left the team voluntarily before the end of the contract.

Sanders was paid all but $1.83 million of the signing bonus. That leaves $5.5 million unearned by Sanders, the Lions claim. If Sanders has to repay the money, the Lions will get a credit of $1.83 million on their salary cap for the 2000 season.

Sanders forfeited $3.1 million in base salary and a $250,000 reporting bonus for the 1999 season by retiring.

Ware told CBS Sportsline that he will use the arbitration hearing to raise the possibility of the Lions trading Sanders. The Lions have maintained that Sanders has retired, so they will not trade him.