In July 2009, Mechelle McNair became a widow when her husband of twelve years, Steve McNair, was murdered.

Known for his successful career as a quarterback with the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, McNair was revered both on and off the field, but his life was ended in a murder-suicide committed by Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi, a woman he was romantically involved with at the time.

Left behind was a grieving family from the devastating event, including Mechelle and her two children, Tyler and Trenton, who is sometimes called Trent.

Tragedy is the theme of Netflix Untold: The Murder of Air McNairreleased in August 2024, which revisits the crime over a decade later, including the complexities of the investigation and McNair’s career in the NFL. Since the events of July 2009, Mechelle has largely withdrawn from the public eye and does not appear in the film.

However, in a 2018 interview with ESPN, Mechelle spoke openly about the nuances of her grief, saying that despite the tragedy that brought her husband’s infidelity to light, she still thinks about the love between them and the family they built together.

“At the end of the day, this is my husband,” she said. “I loved him. I still love him. No matter how he left here, I know he loved us.”

So where is Mechelle McNair now? Here’s everything you need to know about the wife of late NFL quarterback Steve McNair and her life today.

Who is Mechelle McNair?

Mechelle McNair, born Jonula Mechelle Cartwright, met Steve McNair while they were both students at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. Mechelle caught the football player’s attention in a freshman anatomy class, but was initially uninterested in him.

However, Steve persisted and eventually his playful harassment to get her attention got on her nerves. The couple married in 1997 and Mechelle became a pillar of support for Steve as his NFL career soared and their family grew to include two sons, Tyler and Trenton.

Before her relationship with Steve, Mechelle had no plans to get married and originally wanted to be a doctor. However, when Steve was selected in the 1995 NFL Draft for the Houston Oilers (who later became the Tennessee Titans), the couple moved to the south city.

While Mechelle is not featured in the 2024 documentary Untold: The Murder of Air McNairIt is mentioned that “everyone knew who his wife was” and that she was very present in his football career.

In a 2016 interview with Titans Online, Mechelle laughed about how she always yelled at the offensive linemen to protect her man from being hit.

“I used to yell at Zach (Pillar) and Brad (Hopkins) and say, ‘What are you doing? Blocking somebody!'” Mechelle said. “And Zach would look up and say, ‘I’m sorry, Mechelle. We’re trying.’ Brad would look up and go, ‘Shhh.’ They were good times, really good times.”

What happened to Steve McNair?

On July 4, 2009, Steve was found dead in a downtown Nashville condo. The 36-year-old quarterback was found with multiple gunshot wounds on a couch next to the body of Kazemi, a 20-year-old woman with whom he had been romantically involved. Kazemi’s murder-suicide sent shockwaves through the NFL community and left many, including Mechelle, struggling to cope with the devastating loss.

The circumstances of Steve’s death were both tragic and controversial. Kazemi, who had bought the gun just a day earlier, was struggling financially and was increasingly suffering from her relationship with Steve – who she discovered was seeing other women. Meanwhile, the revelation of Steve’s relationship with Kazemi was news to Mechelle, who admitted that while she knew about some “other things,” she had no idea who Kazemi was.

“I didn’t know anything about her,” Mechelle told ESPN. “Did I know about other people and other things? Yes. But did I know about her? No, I didn’t.”

How did Mechelle McNair react to the murder of Steve McNair?

After Steve’s murder, Mechelle was filled with grief and a new public presence. Ongoing legal problems, particularly the lack of a will, further complicated her situation and led to years of disputes, including a public court case over property with Steve’s mother.

Despite these difficulties, Mechelle focused on her sons Tyler and Trent and devoted herself to raising them even when their father was away. She relied on the support of close friends and former Titans players who stepped in as father figures to the boys and helped them navigate life without Steve.

What did Mechelle McNair say about Steve McNair’s death?

Over the years, Mechelle has spoken about the importance of remembering Steve for his positive influence on her life and the lives of others, rather than the circumstances of his death.

“It was emotional (when Steve died), but I never had a hard time talking about him because of the person he was,” Mechelle told Titans Online. “Steve’s death was indeed tragic, but I see in him the father and husband he was, the player that people respected and admired so much, the generous man he was.”

The mother of two added that Steve is still an integral part of her family and she is actively keeping him alive in her sons’ memory.

“Literally not a day goes by that we don’t talk about their dad,” Mechelle said. “The boys are always doing things that remind me of Steve. I’m always like, ‘Oh my God, your dad used to do that.’ And then they ask me what he did and I tell them a different story about him.”

Mechelle is aware of the complexity and pain surrounding Steve’s death, but ultimately chooses not to carry her resentment.

“I can’t say I haven’t had bitter moments,” she told ESPN. “And sometimes I still don’t. But I’m not going to go to hell by blaming anyone or harboring hatred and hostility in my heart. I’m not going to do that.”

Where is Steve McNair’s wife Mechelle McNair now?

Mechelle has spent the years since Steve’s murder largely out of the public eye, focusing on raising her two sons, Tyler and Trent. After Steve’s murder in 2009, Mechelle had to navigate the challenges of being a single mother while also dealing with the grief of her husband’s death. Despite the difficulties, she has continued to care for her sons and ensure that they grow up in a stable and loving environment.

“I can’t tell our boys everything about what it’s like to be a man, but I can tell them how to be respectful and humble and how to treat people the way they should be treated,” Mechelle told Titans Online. “I always tell them, no matter what happens, (your father) loved you.”

Mechelle also encouraged her sons to pursue their passions, as Steve would have done, and supported Tyler’s decision to follow his love of dance, according to The Tennessean.

“His dad always said if they ever wanted to do anything other than sports, then they should do it,” she told the outlet. “A lot of people force them to play basketball or football because they’re athletes. It’s not fun when they’re doing something they don’t want to do.”

According to his Instagram bio, Tyler is a dancer, choreographer, and model. Trent plays basketball for Palm Beach Atlantic University.