Steve McNair's Net Worth Was in the Millions but His Death Left Behind Huge Legal Troubles

Football star Steve McNair played for the NFL for an impressive 13 seasons. He started as a quarterback for then Houston Oilers, then spent his final two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. When he retired in 2009, he rightfully said it had been a long road. "I've been fortunate, to surround myself with great people," said McNair during his retirement speech. "My career speaks for itself."

McNair's career was dotted by injuries, but it never stopped him from giving the classic 110 percent. Despite this, his decision to retire was not an easy one, but his body was ready to quit even if his mind and heart wanted to continue playing. Sadly in just a little over a year, McNair would be killed. He left behind a legacy and an impressive net worth that was eaten by legal issues. Here's what we know.

According to Spotrac, when McNair signed with the Tennessee Titans (then the Houston Oilers) in 1995, he was given a huge pay and sizable bonus. The quarterback "signed a seven year, $28,400,000 contract including $5,300,000 signing bonus, and received an average annual salary of $4,057,143," per the outlet. After renegotiating his contract in 2001, McNair was bumped up to $47,000,000 for a six-year contract which included a $10,000,000 signing bonus. His annual salary increased to $7,833,333.

One more massive jump with the Titans occurred in 2006 which got McNair nearly double what he was making before. Over six years he would be paid $112,250,010. This time his signing bonus was $6,090,010, which took his annual salary to $18,708,335. When he was traded to the Ravens after the 2005 season, his new contract was closer to his rookie deal. His salary for the two seasons with the Ravens was $6,400,000 per year.

According to ESPN, when McNair was murdered in July 2009, his estate was initially valued at $19.6 million. There was just one problem: McNair died without a will, leaving his wife, their two sons, and two children from a previous relationship completely on their own as far as how to divide up his estate. It wasn't an easy task.

There have been several pieces written about the negative effects of dying without a will, as it pertains to McNair's situation. Rebekah N. Freeman, an associate attorney with Elder Law & Estate Planning Center, wrote about his situation for The Bluffton Sun. After McNair died, his widow was forced to hire a probate attorney in order to settle his estate. Mechelle McNair was named executor.

Unfortunately Mechelle made a couple of mistakes. First of all, she neglected to include McNair's children from his previous relationship and "listed only herself and her two children with McNair as heirs." This caused the probate process to drag out further as these children had the option to contest the will.

The next hiccup came in the form of a 45-acre tract of land for his mother that McNair purchased. Because the house was titled in McNair's name and not his mother's, ownership then passed onto his wife. Mechelle requested that McNair's mother pay $3,000 a month in rent or move out. "When his mother moved out, reports indicate his wife sued her for $50,000 worth of property she claimed his mother took from the home," wrote Freeman.

In January 2011, CBS News reported that Mechelle "convinced a Nashville judge to put more than $1 million from the athlete's estate into trusts for the couple's two sons." His other two sons also received an undisclosed amount. The children he shared with Mechelle had already received $53,000 each. This money as well as all future payments were placed in trusts for Mechelle's sons.