Bengals Sign Former Steelers Star Foster

Barry Foster, a Pro Bowl running back while with Pittsburgh, signed Tuesday with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals declined to reveal contract terms.

Foster’s agent, Jordan Woy, did not immediately return a telephone call to his Dallas office.

Foster, 26, an unrestricted free agent, turned down a reported one-year, $1 million offer from the Bengals three weeks ago after he met with the team’s coaches and worked out for them.

The Steelers traded Foster to the Carolina Panthers on May 30. Carolina released him before the season.

Foster led the AFC in rushing in 1992 with 1,690 yards for the Steelers. He was selected to start in the Pro Bowl in 1992 and 1993, and was chosen as an alternate last year.

Bears cut Dent

With their pass rush ailing five weeks ago, the Bears reached into their past to sign Richard Dent.

With it still ailing Tuesday, they cut Dent to create more playing time for their young defensive linemen.

Dent was coming off knee surgery when the Bears gave their Super Bowl XX MVP a second chance. Used primarily in third-down situations, he made one tackle and defended one pass in three games, but was not progressing as coach Dave Wannstedt had hoped.

Dent, who will be 35 on Dec. 13, said he does not know yet whether he will retire. But he was disappointed in the Bears’ impatience.

“Right now I have mixed emotions,” he said. “I am disappointed, but life goes on.”

Thomas out two weeks

Thurman Thomas felt like someone pointed a rifle from the opposite end zone and shot him in the leg.

The Buffalo Bills running back hobbled into Rich Stadium and is expected to miss at least two weeks with a pulled hamstring sustained in a 27-14 loss to New England.

“I planted on my left foot and that’s when it popped,” Thomas said. “I felt it right then and there. I was basically going off the field on one leg. When I got to the sidelines, I just couldn’t stand up.”

The Bills decided not to sign Ricky Sanders after the veteran wide receiver went through workouts in the team’s practice facility.

Sanders cleared

Deion Sanders has been cleared by the NFL to play in Sunday’s game against the Falcons even though the league has ruled his contract invalid, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said.

“I have been assured by the league that they won’t try to keep Deion from playing in Atlanta,” Jones said. “It will be great to finally have Deion in the lineup.”

The NFL told Jones in a letter last Friday that the seven-year, $35 million contract is $1.39 million over the salary cap and therefore invalid. The NFL called again Tuesday to tell the Cowboys that Sanders can suit up.

Jones said the NFL didn’t mention anything about Sanders playing for the rest of the year, but added, “They don’t have a case and we’ll still be playing Deion.”

Steeler suspended

With their defense already struggling to replace the injured Rod Woodson, the Steelers will be without nose tackle Joel Steed for four games after he tested positive for steroids.

Steed is the second Steelers lineman in five years to be suspended for steroids, and the fifth to miss time under the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Oliver Gibson replaces Steed.