Washington Redskins Coach Marty Schottenheimer said last night that he would like to see cornerback Deion Sanders play for the team next season. Schottenheimer said he is considering retaining Sanders rather than releasing him to clear more than $3.6 million of salary cap space.

"I have believed from the outset that the best thing for the Washington Redskins is to have a healthy Deion Sanders playing cornerback for them," Schottenheimer said. "Whatever is best for the Redskins, that's what we'll do."

One day after sources close to the situation said the chances that the Redskins could keep Sanders may be as great as 50 percent, Schottenheimer said the matter is unlikely to be resolved this week.

"I don't think it's likely," Schottenheimer said. "It's possible, but we don't have any plans at this time to do anything. . . . Our position hasn't changed. We've never said we were going to do anything other than keep Deion Sanders. . . . I like the football team we have right now. There are some areas we might like to improve, but I'm not sure it's absolutely necessary."

Asked what he believes the chances are that Sanders will play for the Redskins next season, Schottenheimer said, "I can't speculate on that at this point."

Schottenheimer said he has not spoken to Sanders and has had no recent conversations with Sanders's agent, Eugene Parker.

Sanders, 33, is pursuing a major league baseball comeback with the Cincinnati Reds, and executives throughout the NFL have believed for months it was a virtual certainty that the Redskins would release Sanders after June 1. But Sanders, but who was batting .172 entering last night's game, has struggled mightily in baseball and perhaps could be released by the Reds or demoted to the minor leagues, and the Redskins are giving last-minute consideration to retaining him.

Sanders could not be reached to comment.

Sanders's seven-year, $56 million contract with the Redskins allows him to miss football practices and games to play baseball. But that loophole would be closed if he no longer is playing baseball, and it is unlikely that any other major league team would sign him if he is released by the Reds.

Sanders has been critical of Schottenheimer and has said he would welcome being released by the Redskins, so the relationship between Sanders and Schottenheimer would have to be repaired if the team keeps the flashy cornerback.

The Redskins also would have to figure out a plan for veteran cornerback Darrell Green, who has said he hopes to return to the starting lineup next season after accepting a backup role last season to accommodate Sanders's arrival. Schottenheimer has said several times this offseason that he does not envision releasing Green, 41.