He played college football for the Samford Bulldogs, and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL draft.

[1] Finnegan was also a member of the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.

He displayed good speed at Samford's Pro Day, but lacked ideal height and was deemed a shaky tackler.

Finnegan played in all 16 games with two starts (one October 15 at Washington as nickel back and again on November 19 at Philadelphia as left cornerback).

[4] Finnegan was a pleasant surprise for Tennessee in the 2006–07 season after starting at the beginning of the Titans' six-game win streak.

On December 16, 2008, the National Football League named Finnegan a 2009 Pro Bowl starter alongside Oakland Raiders corner Nnamdi Asomugha.

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.

[6][7] In September 2010, Finnegan was fined $5,000 for throwing New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith to the ground by his helmet.

After this incident, the NFL warned Finnegan that similar infractions in the future would lead to increased discipline.

In Week 1, in his first game with the St. Louis Rams, against the Detroit Lions, Finnegan intercepted a Matthew Stafford pass and returned it for a touchdown.

[12] On October 26, Finnegan was fined $7,875 for grabbing Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson's facemask in Week 7.

The Panthers defeated the Seahawks and Cardinals to reach Super Bowl 50, marking Finnegan's first championship appearance.