"Cortland Finnegan is known for his in-your-face style of play and not-backing-down attitude.

Yet the Titans cornerback was in a reflective, almost subdued mood as he sat at his locker after Thursday's practice.

He's excited that the Titans are in the playoff hunt with three games to play, but he can't keep a more sobering thought out of his mind. He thinks his days with the Titans are numbered.

"I thought having a daughter was one of the most emotional times in my life," Finnegan said. "But the thought of not being able to put on a Titans uniform again … it is finally starting to hit me that the end is probably near.

"It is like you have three weeks left and they say you are going to be fired, and you don't hear anything leading up to that. You just do the best you can with what you've got. But from history, it doesn't look bright for me here. But I know I can't control that."

The seventh-year pro's contract expires after the season, when about 20 teammates are also scheduled to become free agents.

The Titans and Finnegan's agent, Terry Watson, had brief discussions about a long-term contract leading up to the season, but the two sides never came close to agreeing on its value.

The standoff resulted in Finnegan leaving training camp for a day, and there has been no more dialogue between the Titans and Watson."