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Sharif Finch’s farewell message to Titans after being claimed by Bengals

By Michael Moraitis

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 8: Sharif Finch #56 of the Tennessee Titans attempts to tackle Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 8, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Tennessee defeated Cleveland 43-13. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 8: Sharif Finch #56 of the Tennessee Titans attempts to tackle Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 8, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Tennessee defeated Cleveland 43-13. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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Outside linebacker Sharif Finch had a farewell message for the Tennessee Titans after he was claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.

After being waived by the Tennessee Titans prior to the Week 16 game against the New Orleans Saints, outside linebacker Sharif Finch was claimed by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday.

He posted this message on Twitter, thanking his former team.

https://twitter.com/S_Finch6/status/1209313473198481408

The case with the Titans cutting Finch is a curious one, as our own Will Lomas pointed out.

A once-promising edge rusher who was a UDFA out of Temple, Finch battled some injuries in 2019, but was also a healthy scratch for several games. He totaled one sack in Week 1 and then was basically never heard from again outside of getting another sack in Week 9.

The decision to leave Finch inactive most weeks was a puzzling one. The Titans have had issues getting pressure off the other side opposite Harold Landry — and that problem only become more evident after Cameron Wake was put on injured reserve with a knee injury.

So, what exactly happened with Finch?

Jim Wyatt of Titans Online had some insight into the situation in one of his mailbags.

"Hey John. Sharif hasn’t made the impact I thought he would make. I just think the time he missed this offseason while recovering from his shoulder injury kept him from reaching his potential, and I think the setbacks he’s had during the course of this year provided even more road blocks. Sharif played on Sunday vs. Indianapolis, but he was inactive for five of the eight games prior to that. He has just two sacks in seven games."

Perhaps that’s the reason for Finch’s downfall over the course of the 2019 season, but it’s still surprising that the Titans weren’t more patient with him considering his talent and how hard it is to find a good EDGE in this league.

All that doesn’t really matter now. Finch didn’t make it past the first team on waivers and now he’s a member of the Bengals. We wish him the best, just not against the Titans.

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