Cortland Finnegan to Saints: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The New Orleans Saints and veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan have agreed to a contract, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reported Friday. The team has not disclosed the terms of the deal.

This comes after Rand Getlin of NFL Network reported the corner visited the Saints on Friday and was "expected to sign" in the aftermath.

Finnegan, 32, spent last season with the Carolina Panthers. He signed in Carolina with five games remaining in the 2016 campaign after previously announcing his retirement. Working mostly in the slot, Finnegan recorded 18 combined tackles and one pass defensed. He added 14 tackles and an interception in the Panthers' postseason run.

“You can’t put it into words,” Finnegan said before the Super Bowl, per Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. “It’s been wonderful. The fact that you get to be alongside guys in this defense and be a part of this is a dream come true. It took me 10 years just to get to the playoffs again, let alone the Super Bowl.”

Finnegan did not rule out a return to the NFL, but he did not generate much interest in free agency. He continued to hang out on the market until Friday, when the Saints reached out amid concerns about their secondary depth.

New Orleans finished an abysmal 31st in the league against the pass last season, which was one reason why it missed the postseason with a 7-9 record. The Saints need better play from their secondary if they are going to catch the defending NFC champion Panthers in the NFC South in 2016, and Finnegan adds a veteran presence.

A Pro Bowler and All-Pro in Tennessee, Finnegan hit a stalling point in his career after leaving for the Rams in 2012. He failed to live up to the promise of a five-year, $50 million contract and was released after just two seasons. One miserable season in Miami later, Finnegan was ready to quit football altogether.

"For me, it didn’t make sense," Finnegan said. "Why kill yourself again in another training camp to maybe have a knee replacement five, 10 years earlier than you’re supposed to, because [former head coach Joe Philbin's] not giving you a break?”

The short stint in Carolina was apparently enough to reinvigorate Finnegan's passion. He likely won't do much outside of slot work in 2016, but he thrived with lesser expectations last year. Perhaps this will mark the appropriate final chapter in this NFL career.