PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Bills’ Thomas Will Sit Out

Thurman Thomas will not play for the Buffalo Bills against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Thomas, who has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of Buffalo’s last three games, suffered a sprained right knee Monday night against Denver after gaining 113 yards and scoring two touchdowns. Kenneth Davis will replace Thomas.

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Defensive back Lorenzo Lynch returned to practice with the Arizona Cardinals, saying he was embarrassed and humiliated after spending four days in jail this week.

Despite the time away, Lynch is expected to start at strong safety when the Cardinals play host to Minnesota on Sunday, Coach Buddy Ryan said.

Lynch turned himself in Monday and was jailed for violating terms of his probation stemming from a 1992 assault conviction. Lynch had been sentenced to 100 hours of community service but performed only 40, court records show.

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San Francisco cornerback Deion Sanders pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor charge stemming from his confrontation with a police officer at Riverfront Stadium.

Sanders was arrested Aug. 8 and charged with misdemeanor counts of failing to provide a driver’s license and resisting arrest during a confrontation with an off-duty police officer working as a guard at Riverfront Stadium, where Sanders was playing for the Cincinnati Reds. The officer said Sanders, who made the last out in a game that night, tried to leave on his motor scooter through a pedestrian gate, argued when stopped and then drove away when told he was under arrest. The officer, Herb Kohus, said he was dragged about 30 feet.

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A former minority owner of the New England Patriots sued the NFL, claiming league officials set out to oust him.

In a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Francis W. Murray claims the NFL violated federal antitrust laws by blocking his efforts in the past two years to bid for a new franchise in St. Louis or to move the Patriots to Hartford, Conn.

Because of the NFL’s meddling, the suit said, Murray is no longer a competitor for a league franchise. If Murray wins his antitrust case, the defendants would be liable for triple damages. He said his losses were over $100,000 but was not more specific.