Steve McNair
Steve McNair at NFL.com Steve LaTreal McNair (born February 14, 1973 in Mount Olive, Mississippi) is an American professional football player who is currently a quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. Pending his expected release by the Titans, McNair will sign a contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
He is a native of Mississippi and played collegiately in that state for Alcorn State University, a historically black university which competes in the NCAA's Division I-AA. In his senior season he amassed incredible statistics, including over 4,000 yards passing and 2,000 yards rushing; he finished third in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, which is unusual for a player from Division I-AA. His brother Fred also played for Alcorn (from 1986-1989). Steve was subsequently selected with the third pick in the ensuing NFL draft by the then-Houston Oilers, who were in the process of relocating to Tennessee. McNair was brought along slowly in the NFL by the Oilers, backing up or sharing time with quarterbacks Chris Chandler and Dave Krieg.
When the team relocated to its new stadium in Nashville and was renamed the Titans in 1999, McNair, along with running back Eddie George, led the team to an AFC championship and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV, where they lost by only a yard to the St. Louis Rams. Since then, he has generally been recognized as one of the game's top players, and was named co-Most Valuable Player for the 2003 season along with Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts.
McNair was widely respected among Titans fans for being able to play while hurt, having sustained many injuries throughout his career. In the 2003 and 2004 seasons, however, he was increasingly forced to take time off due to injury, being replaced by adequate backup Billy Volek. On November 28, 2004, after a loss to the Houston Texans, McNair hinted that he might retire following the 2004 campaign. On December 17, 2004, it was announced that McNair would not play any more during the 2004-05 season and that he would undergo surgery on his injured sternum. McNair's return for the 2005 season, however, was a stellar display of his co-MVP-winning 2003 season form.
Impending Trade to Baltimore
For 2006, McNair's season with the Titans is questionable. As of April, McNair's been asked to work out someplace else instead of with the team during the Titans' offseason conditioning program, ostensibly, for fear that an injury would make the team liable for the entire amount of his $23.46 million salary cap hit for 2006 which would limit their ability to sign their 2006 draft picks.[1]
In 2006, the Titans drafted quarterback Vince Young of the 2005 national champion Texas Longhorns. As McNair's contract is currently structured, he is to play through the 2006 season, with a $50,000,000 option to extend through the 2009 season.
As of May 2006, the Baltimore Ravens is in negotiations to try to obtain McNair. On Sunday, April 30th, 2006, the Titans allowed McNair to speak with the Ravens and on May 1st, 2006, the Baltimore Sun stated that the Baltimore Ravens has been waiting for Steve McNair to be released by the Titans since free agency began two months ago, however, the Titans might hold onto McNair until the week before training camp in late July if the Ravens doesn't come up with a satisfactory trade offer for McNair according to a league source. It's been said that the Titans have less than $500,000 in cap room and if they don't release McNair, they will be unable to sign their draft picks. The Ravens want to obtain McNair as soon as possible so they can teach McNair the Ravens' offensive system. It was reported that the Ravens recognized that it could take weeks to come up with a solution. On Sunday, talks fell apart between the Ravens and the Titans when the Ravens reportedly offered a fifth-round pick and the Titans want a fourth-round pick. A source stated that initial negotiations between the Ravens and McNair's agent was "very productive." The Baltimore Sun speculates that the Ravens might offer a fourth-round pick because one pick could be coming from the NFL since the Ravens lost nose tackle Maake Kemoeatu, running back Chester Taylor and defensive end Tony Weaver in free agency, the Ravens figure that they would be in the best position to receive at least one compensatory pick in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Ravens' cornerback, Samari Rolle, who played with the Titans and McNair for seven seasons, stated to the Baltimore Sun that he will "warmly welcome" McNair. The Baltimore Sun quotes Rolle as stating: "In the players' minds, mind, this would put us over the top." By the Ravens attempting to add McNair, Rolle said the franchise sends a message to the players. "I think it lets you know that everyone around here is serious about winning," he said. "The time is now for us. We've We got a veteran-laden team and we're not getting any younger." He also predicts that the Ravens will receive a "reinvigorated McNair" and that if the Titans does release him, he will contact McNair and "actively recruit him to the Ravens." (Source: Titans appear in no hurry to complete McNair pass - Tennessee could afford to keep quarterback until July - May 1, 2006, 8:50 PM EDT - From the Baltimore Sun.)
McNair and the Ravens agreed to an $11 million signing bonus on May 5, 2006.
Career statistics
| Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GP | Comp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | INT | Att | Yds | TD | ||
| 1995 | Houston Oilers | 4 | 41 | 80 | 51.3 | 569 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 38 | 0 | ||
| 1996 | Houston Oilers | 9 | 88 | 143 | 61.5 | 1197 | 6 | 4 | 31 | 169 | 2 | ||
| 1997 | Tennessee Oilers | 16 | 216 | 415 | 52.0 | 3228 | 14 | 13 | 101 | 674 | 8 | ||
| 1998 | Tennessee Oilers | 16 | 289 | 492 | 58.7 | 3228 | 15 | 10 | 77 | 559 | 4 | ||
| 1999 | Tennessee Titans | 11 | 187 | 331 | 56.5 | 2179 | 12 | 8 | 72 | 337 | 8 | ||
| 2000 | Tennessee Titans | 16 | 248 | 396 | 62.6 | 2847 | 15 | 13 | 72 | 403 | 0 | ||
| 2001 | Tennessee Titans | 15 | 264 | 431 | 61.3 | 3350 | 21 | 12 | 75 | 414 | 5 | ||
| 2002 | Tennessee Titans | 16 | 301 | 492 | 61.2 | 3387 | 22 | 15 | 82 | 440 | 3 | ||
| 2003 | Tennessee Titans | 14 | 250 | 400 | 62.5 | 3215 | 24 | 7 | 38 | 138 | 4 | ||
| 2004 | Tennessee Titans | 8 | 129 | 215 | 60.0 | 1343 | 8 | 9 | 23 | 128 | 1 | ||
| 2005 | Tennessee Titans | 14 | 292 | 476 | 61.3 | 3161 | 16 | 11 | 32 | 139 | 1 | ||
| Totals | 139 | 2305 | 3871 | 59.5 | 27141 | 156 | 103 | 614 | 3439 | 36 | |||
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