Netflix will soon launch its next set of sports documentaries for 2024, starting with former NFL star quarterback Steve McNair and his shocking 2009 murder.
But before Netflix’s critically acclaimed series’ next rendition, “Untold: The Murder of Air McNair,” premieres, we first take a look back at how decorated McNair’s career became.
Examining Steve McNair’s NFL Career, Including Shared MVP Title
McNair emerged as one of the league’s most popular quarterbacks during the era of the late 1990s/early 2000s.
He not only won over fans of the Tennessee Titans for his immensely strong arm and mobility but for taking countless hits yet he still kept going.
McNair first arrived to the league as the third overall selection in the 1995 NFL Draft out of Alcorn State. He went on to start in two games his rookie season, both resulting in victories for the Houston Oilers.
But he soon became one of the faces of the Titans. McNair was the starter behind the franchise’s first-ever AFC title run during the 1999 season, which featured three postseason victories after starting as a Wild Card. McNair then nearly lifted the Titans to overtime against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl 34, but his completion to Kevin Dyson was stopped at the one-yard line, ending in the dramatic 23-16 loss.
McNair elevated his play from there, earning three Pro Bowl nods with Tennessee. His first nomination came in 2000, which saw him go 12-3 as a starter. Then from 2001 to 2003, McNair delivered three consecutive seasons of 20+ touchdowns.
But arguably his most memorable season came in ’03, which saw him lead the NFL with a 100.4 QB rating and take first in average yards per passing attempt at 8.0. He also threw a career-best 24 touchdowns. That ’03 campaign ended with him sharing MVP honors with his AFC South rival from the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning.
McNair squeezed in one more Pro Bowl season as a Titan in 2005 before ultimately being released in a free agency move. He then signed with a former division and postseason rival of the Titans, the Baltimore Ravens.
Right away, McNair’s QB play and leadership were felt inside the Ravens’ facility. He helped spearhead the team’s 13-3 mark that culminated in winning the AFC North. However, McNair and the Ravens were bounced immediately in their opening-round playoff game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Colts during that ’06 season.
McNair played one last season with the Ravens in 2007 — falling to 2-4 as a regular season starter and being bottled to just two touchdowns with four interceptions. That Baltimore team fell to 5-11 and head coach Brian Billick got fired.
For his career, McNair went 91-62 overall as a regular-season starter and took four Titans teams to the playoffs. He owned one AFC Championship ring while also taking Baltimore to one postseason appearance. He racked up 31,304 career passing yards with 174 touchdown passes and 119 interceptions. McNair produced six 3,000-yard campaigns, including one with the Ravens in ’06.
But he’s most revered for how he played with injuries — ranging from ailments in his sternum and ribs to even having bone spurs in his ankle.
McNair’s career, from his rise at Alcorn State to his NFL run, will be showcased in the documentary. But the premise is set to center on his tragic murder that took place on July 4, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn.
McNair was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds inside a Nashville condominium owned by his estranged girlfriend Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi. Police believed that McNair and the 20-year-old were involved in a tumultuous romantic relationship — ultimately leading to McNair’s death in what police ruled as a murder-suicide. McNair was only 36 at the time of his death.