Saints’ McAllister not ready to hang ’em up

He’s still productive, but he might not be the best back on the team.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A life-size cardboard cutout of Deuce McAllister wearing a chef’s outfit showed up this week on the Millsaps College campus, where the New Orleans Saints are holding training camp.

The Saints’ star running back was showing off a new sandwich he helped create (grilled chicken with melted cheese and a honey-mustard Creole sauce) for a local restaurant chain with a name — McAlister’s Deli — much like his but for one letter.

It was the latest example of how McAllister, beloved in the region since he starred at Ole Miss nearly a decade ago, is extending his roots even farther with yet another business venture. There are car dealerships, a historic hotel renovation in downtown Jackson, his Catch 22 charitable foundation, and soon, his own McAlister’s Deli franchises.

Now if only he can extend his playing days with the Saints.

“I’m familiar with the region. I played college ball here, I’m from here, and then I was fortunate and blessed enough to be able to play professionally for the Saints,” McAllister said.

“But when it comes down to it, you have to weigh how productive the player is on the field. If I’m not making enough plays for this team that really warrant what the contract says I should be making, then obviously what their move has to be is release, restructure or move on.”

Logjam

McAllister, 28, is still in his prime and already is the Saints’ career rushing leader with 5,586 yards and 44 touchdowns. Whether he’s the best running back on the team has been a matter of debate since Reggie Bush arrived last year.

The Saints want to keep both. How long they’ll be able to afford both is another matter.

McAllister won’t rule out restructuring his contract if his production drops off. And since NFL contracts are not guaranteed, the Saints might be able to placate McAllister by offering more guaranteed money and incentive bonuses in exchange for a lower overall salary.

And if the Saints continue to show promise of challenging for Super Bowls, McAllister said it might be a mistake to unload him if he’s still playing well.

“Probably the thing that’s sad when you think about sports is when you think about how the Lakers broke up,” McAllister said. “You look at so many teams that had an opportunity to make a run for a long time, but for some odd reason, whether it was relationships off the court or whether it was financial, you see that team break up when they’re on a true run.”