He would first attended Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois for one semester before transferring to Naperville North High School where he was a teammate of future NFL running back Chris Brown.

He was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame during the Huskies game against Kent State on October 8, 2011.

He played an important role for the Titans, especially in their 2002-2003 playoff campaign, setting up the game-winning field goal in overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers by catching 31-yard and 22-yard passes from quarterback Steve McNair to set up Joe Nedney's game-winning field goal.

McCareins had a successful first year with the Jets in 2004, catching 56 passes for 770 yards and 4 touchdowns, which placed him second on the team in receiving.

On March 12, 2008, McCareins re-joined the Titans on a one-year, $1 million contract after four seasons with the Jets.