Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was taken aback with emotion before he even walked into Nissan Stadiumon Sept. 20 when his team beat the Titans 24-20.
The reason?
Former Titans quarterback Steve McNair, who was murdered July 4, 2009, was staring back at him.
"A bit emotional feeling," Hurts told reporters in Philadelphia this week. "Seeing Steve McNair on the wallpaper outside.
"He's the only one I looked up to."
How Jalen Hurts compared Steve McNair to Michael Jordan, Tom Brady
Hurts said he has met Michael Jordan and Tom Brady and had developed relationships with them.
Neither of them, though, were in McNair's league in his mind.
"Steve McNair is the only one that I truly looked up to and watched and (have) been enamored by," Hurts said. "And I never got to meet him.
knows everyone? Titans, Giants get to find out | Estes
"That win was special for that reason. I was reminded of that when we pulled up to the stadium and it kind of hit me there."
What Jalen Hurts said about Steve McNair, Vince Young
Hurts called McNair a trailblazer and praised his abilities on the field for reasons he looked up to him. McNair, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, led the Titans to Super Bowl XXXIV, and in 2003 was the NFL's co-MVP.
Watch Jalen Hurts praise Steve McNair and give a nod to Vince Young
— 𝓣𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓷 𝓤𝓹 2⚔️ (@TitanUp2x) September 25, 2026
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"He came from the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference)," Hurts said. "Nobody expected it. He was kind of before his time. ... Being a Black quarterback, and the history of the Black quarterback in Philadelphia, he falls right in suit with some of the greats that have come here, and some of the things that have had to be overcome.
"Vince Young, as a kid, was looking up to Steve McNair."
Who do the Titans play this week?
The Titans will face the New York Giants on Sept. 27 (noon, CBS). Former Titans coach Brian Callahan is the Giants' offensive passing coordinator and quarterbacks coach. And Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll coached the Giants in 2025.
Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was emotional about Steve McNair, win vs Titans
