New Orleans Saints cornerback Cortland Finnegan has a reputation.
It’s one that indicates he’s a dirty player and has been throughout his 10-year NFL career. It’s a career that’s seen Finnegan receive 10 different on-field fines, including four for fighting with his opponent.
Now looking to make his impact known in New Orleans after signing with the team this month, Finnegan isn’t backing away from the reputation he has received.
“When your reputation is that you’re a dirtbag you’d, like to hope and think that in real life you add some value to the locker room,” Finnegan said, via Nola.com. “Sometimes you’re the bug, sometimes your the windshield. You just got to figure those out and so after the incident there it was just gonna be known that you were the villain. But you just have to work through that. Not everyone sees what you do off the football field.”
The most noteworthy incident involving Finnegan came during the height of his career when he took on then Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson back in 2010.
At that point, Finnegan’s on-field reputation was known. Not a great cover guy by any stretch of the imagination, he brings an angry mentality to the defensive backfield.
No matter your opinion of Finnegan the player, this is something the Saints desperately need. They ranked 31st in the NFL against the pass last season, yielding a ridiculous 116.2 quarterback rating in the process.