Cortland Finnegan

Finnegan signed with the New Orleans Saints on August 12, 2016, but was released by the team on September 6.

On March 11, 2015, Finnegan announced his retirement from the NFL.

Finnegan came out of retirement after less than a year, signing a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers on November 30, 2015. In five games Finnegan played in the regular season, he recorded 18 tackles. The Panthers defeated the Seahawks and Cardinals to reach Super Bowl 50, marking Finnegan's first championship appearance. In the Super Bowl, Finnegan recorded four tackles. However, the Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos by a score of 24–10.

On March 5, 2014, it was announced Finnegan would be released from the St. Louis Rams at the beginning of the new league year.

On March 14, 2014, Finnegan signed with the Miami Dolphins. After totaling 44 tackles but no interceptions, he was released by the team on March 2, 2015.

Finnegan signed a five-year, $50 million ($27 million guaranteed) deal with the St. Louis Rams on March 13, 2012. Following his former coach, Jeff Fisher, from the Titans to the Rams.

He is married to Lacey, and has a daughter named Lyla Kelsey Finnegan (born May 2011), with her first name named after Finnegan's sister, and her middle name named after Kelsey Towns, a high school volleyball player who Cortland and family befriended while she was battling synovial sarcoma.

In 2010, Finnegan became a member of School of the Legends (SOTL), an online community and partner of the NFLPA. SOTL's headquarters are located in Nashville, Tennessee. He also became Titans' Community Man of the Year due to his fundraising efforts and the establishment of ARK 31, a non-profit charity for children with disabilities and special needs.

In September 2010, Finnegan was fined $5,000 for throwing New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith to the ground by his helmet. In October 2010, Finnegan was fined $10,000 for unnecessary roughness after hitting Denver Broncos guard Chris Kuper after Kuper's helmet was off. After this incident, the NFL warned Finnegan that similar infractions in the future would lead to increased discipline. On November 28, 2010, Finnegan was involved in a fist fight with Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson. Finnegan and Johnson were ejected, and each subsequently fined $25,000.

Finnegan was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time for intercepting two David Garrard passes during his Week 1 performance of the 2008 season.

On December 16, 2008, the National Football League named Finnegan a 2009 Pro Bowl starter alongside Oakland Raiders corner Nnamdi Asomugha. It was Finnegan's first and only Pro Bowl selection.

Playing at FCS school Samford, Finnegan was very much unnoticed and overlooked in the 2006 NFL Draft. He displayed good speed at Samford's Pro Day, but lacked ideal height and was deemed a shaky tackler. Sports Illustrated projected him to go undrafted, but Finnegan was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the seventh pick of the seventh round (215th overall). He was the first Samford player drafted since Gary Fleming went 163rd overall to the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 NFL Draft.

Finnegan was a pleasant surprise for Tennessee in the 2006–07 season after starting at the beginning of the Titans' six-game win streak. He made plays left and right; most notably his 92-yard fumble return against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, December 17. It was one of the three defensive touchdowns for the Titans in that game—a franchise record. In his NFL debut against the Jets he had a sack and forced fumble.

Finnegan attended Milton High School in Milton, Florida, where he starred as safety and tailback, earning second-team All-State as a senior in 2002. He caught 22 passes for 403 yards, and also averaged 3.4 yards per rush and scored 3 touchdowns rushing. On defense, he recorded 65 tackles.

Cortland Temujin Finnegan (born February 2, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at Samford, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Finnegan also played for the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.