The Tennessee Titans have decided to posthumously retire former star Quarterback Steve McNair’s number this year. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk announced that the one-time NFL co-MVP’s jersey number 9 will be given the retirement honor during the September 15 home opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
In his 11-year career with the Titans, “Air” McNair threw more than 150 touchdowns and 27,000 yards passing. in 1999, the former Alcorn State QB took the Titans to the Super Bowl but couldn’t close the deal against Kurt Warner and the St. Louis Rams.
McNair spent his last 2 years in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens before he was shot and killed in 2009 in what was reported as a murder-suicide by a girlfriend.
The Titans organization also plans to retire running back and McNair co-star Eddie George’s number 27 during at the same game making them the 7th and 8th players to have their numbers retired as Titans.
In George’s 8 seasons with the Titans, the former Ohio State Buckeye had 7 seasons over 1000 yards rushing.
#Titans play by play man Mike Keith says of the 150 jersey numbers to ever be retired before in the NFL, there’s never been a 9 or a 27.
Eddie and Steve are the first for those numbers. pic.twitter.com/QXNz1GGNB1
— Travis Haney (@travhaney) June 12, 2019
“Steve and Eddie will be forever linked as two of the driving forces for our team in the late 90’s and early 2000’s,” Strunk said in a Titans press release. “They were the heart and soul of the team and each made the other a better player and ultimately led to a great deal of team success. Their statistics will forever live in our record books, but their play and sacrifice is what our fans will always remember. For that and all that they have done for our team, the number 9 and 27 will be retired with the all-time franchise greats.”
The two Titan legends will join the ranks of legends like Warren Moon and Earl Campbell.
