Fansided

Former Titans, Dolphins cornerback Cortland Finnegan is retiring

By Stanford Crissey

Nov 10, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan (31) reacts to a penalty flag being thrown during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 10, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan (31) reacts to a penalty flag being thrown during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Cortland Finnegan has decicded to call it quits. 

Apparently retiring young is the new NFL trend.

First we had the surprise retirement of the 30-year-old Patrick Willis, who was in the middle of a possible Hall of Fame career. Then it was 26-year-old Jake Locker, who would have made a lot of money to be somebody’s quarterback next year. They were soon joined by 27-year-old former Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds.

Now we can add former Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan to the list.

Finnegan, 31, played nine years in the NFL with the Titans, Rams, and most recently in Miami, where he started 12 games this season. Surprisingly, it appears that his Miami stint will be his last in the NFL.

Here is Finnegan’s Instagram statement (intact except for emoijs):

"Spent 9 years doing something I Loved and it has paid off in so many ways.. To say I have been blessed is an understatement I am forever thankful.. I have made my share of mistakes and had moments of glory. I even got into a fight in an NFL Game ( he hits like a bish). I’m thankful for the friends I made on and off the field love yAll.. Time to move on and enjoy new people new places and new ideas.. I forgot to thank all the haters I love yAll"

More from Miami Dolphins

Finnegan retires with 18 interceptions and 4 touchdowns in his nine seasons. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2008, and retires as arguably the best player named after a type of apple (Jeff Granny Smith’s career didn’t pan out the way we all hoped).

The Titans drafted Finnegan in the seventh round of the 2006 draft, and despite his low draft status, he defied the odds by becoming a starter by his second year, then a star in his third.

In the years following his 2008 breakout, Finnegan regressed on the field, and became as well-known for on- and off-field incidents as he was for his play, including a much publicized 2010 fight with the Texans’ Andre Johnson (the “bish” referred to in Finnegan’s Instagram goodbye).

He signed a five-year, $50 million deal with the St. Louis Rams in 2012, reuniting with his original coach, Jeff Fisher. But Finnegan disappointed with the Rams, and was released after an injury-plagued 2013, just two years into the deal.

Finnegan didn’t do into detail about why he decided to retire, but this new trend of younger NFL players retiring certainly is eye-opening; it could mean that NFL players are starting to value their long-term health over collecting their next big check. It may just be a blip on the radar, but it could have long-term implications if this does become a trend.

More from FanSided

Home/Miami Dolphins