Steve McNair Net Worth

What Was Steve McNair's Net Worth and Career Earnings?

Steve McNair was an American professional football player who had a net worth of $20 million at the time of his death in 2009. During his 13-season NFL career, Steve McNair earned roughly $77 million in salary and bonuses.

Nicknamed "Air McNair," McNair spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise before finishing with the Baltimore Ravens. A powerful dual-threat quarterback known for playing through injuries, he became the face of the Titans during their rise into an NFL contender. McNair led Tennessee to Super Bowl XXXIV following the 1999 season, where the Titans came within one yard of potentially forcing overtime against the St. Louis Rams. In 2003, he shared the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award with Peyton Manning.

McNair finished his NFL career with more than 31,000 passing yards, 174 passing touchdowns and another 3,590 yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground. He retired following the 2007 season. On July 4, 2009, McNair was murdered at age 36 by his 20-year-old girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, who then killed herself. McNair died without a will, leaving behind an estate that was initially valued at $19.6 million.

Career Earnings and Contracts

McNair earned roughly $77 million in NFL compensation during his career, with about $61 million coming from the Oilers/Titans and another $16 million from the Baltimore Ravens.

In June 2001, McNair agreed to a six-year, $47 million contract with Tennessee. The deal included a $16 million signing bonus, with $10 million paid in 2001 and another $6 million the following year. The Titans later restructured his contract several times as the team attempted to manage its salary cap.

By 2006, McNair's contract had become a major issue for Tennessee. The Titans declined a massive $50 million option that had been built into his deal and ultimately traded him to Baltimore. McNair then signed a contract with the Ravens that included an $11 million bonus. He received $12 million in cash compensation during the 2006 season and another $4 million in 2007.

Early Life and High School

Steve LaTreal McNair was born on February 14, 1973, in Mount Olive, Mississippi. He grew up with four brothers and became a multi-sport athlete at Mount Olive High School, competing in football, basketball, baseball and track.

McNair played quarterback and defensive back in football and helped lead Mount Olive to a state championship during his junior year. He was talented enough in baseball that the Seattle Mariners selected him in the 1991 MLB draft, but football offered the path he ultimately chose.

Alcorn State

McNair attended Alcorn State University, an HBCU competing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Major college programs had recruited him for other positions, but Alcorn State gave him the opportunity to remain at quarterback.

The decision produced one of the most prolific careers in college football history. McNair was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year in each of his four seasons and developed into a national star despite playing outside the highest level of Division I football.

As a sophomore in 1992, McNair threw for 3,541 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading Alcorn State to the Division I-AA playoffs. He passed for another 3,197 yards as a junior before producing an extraordinary senior season in 1994.

McNair threw for 5,377 yards and 47 touchdowns as a senior while adding more than 900 rushing yards. He won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in Division I-AA and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting, an exceptionally high finish for a player from an FCS-level program. His college career eventually earned him induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans

The Houston Oilers selected McNair with the third overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. He spent much of his first two seasons developing behind veteran quarterbacks before becoming the full-time starter in 1997, the franchise's first season after moving from Houston to Tennessee.

McNair immediately demonstrated the combination of passing and running ability that would define his career. In 1997, he threw for 2,665 yards and 14 touchdowns while rushing for 674 yards and eight scores. Along with running back Eddie George, McNair became a cornerstone of an offense built around physical, ball-control football.

The franchise adopted the Titans name in 1999 under head coach Jeff Fisher, and that season produced the defining playoff run of McNair's career. Tennessee finished 13-3 and advanced through the AFC playoffs to Super Bowl XXXIV against the St. Louis Rams.

With Tennessee trailing 23-16 in the final seconds, McNair drove the Titans down the field and completed a pass to Kevin Dyson on the game's final play. Dyson was tackled by Mike Jones one yard short of the end zone, preserving a 23-16 Rams victory in what became one of the most famous finishes in Super Bowl history.

The Titans went 13-3 again in 2000 before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. McNair continued developing as a passer over the next several seasons, throwing for 3,350 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2001 and a career-high 3,387 yards with 22 touchdown passes in 2002. Tennessee reached the AFC Championship Game following the 2002 season but lost to the Oakland Raiders.

McNair produced the best season of his career in 2003. He threw for 3,215 yards and a career-high 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions while leading the NFL with a 100.4 passer rating. Tennessee finished 12-4, and McNair shared the AP NFL MVP Award with Peyton Manning.

Years of physical punishment began taking a toll. McNair was limited to eight games in 2004 because of injuries but returned to start 14 games in 2005. His relationship with the Titans deteriorated during the following offseason amid disputes over his contract and the team's concerns about the financial consequences if he were injured while training at the facility.

Baltimore Ravens

In June 2006, Tennessee traded McNair to the Baltimore Ravens for a draft pick, ending his 11-season run with the franchise. The move immediately paid off for Baltimore.

McNair started all 16 games in 2006, throwing for 3,050 yards and 16 touchdowns while leading the Ravens to a 13-3 record and the AFC North championship. Playing alongside a veteran roster that included Ray Lewis, McNair helped Baltimore post what was then the best regular-season record in franchise history. The Ravens' season ended with a divisional-round loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Injuries limited McNair to six games in 2007. After undergoing numerous surgeries and dealing with the cumulative physical toll of more than a decade in the NFL, he announced his retirement in April 2008.

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Real Estate and $19.6 Million Estate

McNair accumulated substantial real estate and business holdings during his playing career. At the time of his death, he and his wife were selling a 26-room mansion in Nashville's Green Hills area that was valued at $3.2 million. McNair had purchased the property in 2004 for $1.6 million.

He also owned extensive property in his native Mississippi. His holdings included a roughly 650-acre farm and residence near Mount Olive known as "The Ranch," and he operated McNair Farms, a farming and ranching business.

McNair died without a signed will. Probate proceedings following his death initially valued his estate at $19.6 million. Because he died intestate, the distribution of the estate became considerably more complicated, particularly because McNair was survived by his wife and four sons.

In 2010, a judge authorized $2.5 million to be released from the frozen estate, providing $500,000 each to his widow, Mechelle, and his four sons while probate proceedings continued.

Personal Life

McNair married Mechelle Cartwright in 1997. They had two sons together, Tyler and Trenton. McNair also had two older sons, Steven Jr. and Steven O'Bryan, from previous relationships.

Away from football, McNair invested in businesses and property in Tennessee and Mississippi and remained closely associated with both Nashville and his hometown of Mount Olive. He was also known for charitable work, particularly programs benefiting children and communities in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Death

On July 4, 2009, McNair was found dead inside a condominium he rented with a friend in downtown Nashville. He had been shot four times, twice in the head and twice in the chest. The body of his 20-year-old girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, was found nearby with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Nashville police concluded that Kazemi shot McNair while he was sleeping on a sofa and then killed herself. Investigators said she had been experiencing financial problems and believed McNair was involved with another woman. McNair was 36 years old.

His death shocked the NFL and Nashville, where he had become one of the most important athletes in the city's professional sports history. The Titans later retired McNair's No. 9 jersey, and his accomplishments at Alcorn State were recognized with induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

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