New England Patriots Givens was drafted in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft with the 253rd overall pick. Givens caught nine passes and one
touchdown his
rookie year for the
New England Patriots in
2002, and improved in each of the next two seasons. He posted 34 catches and led his team with six touchdowns in
2003 and 56 catches in
2004 despite scoring just three times. His best performances in his career came in the postseason. Beginning with the
2003 AFC Championship Game against the
Indianapolis Colts, Givens scored at least one touchdown the Patriots' next seven playoff games, including both
Super Bowl XXXVIII and
Super Bowl XXXIX. In
2005, Givens caught a career-high 59 passes and was the Patriots' number two receiver for the second year in a row. In
Super Bowl XXXIX against the
Philadelphia Eagles, Givens mocked the wing-flap celebration of Eagles receiver
Terrell Owens after catching a four-yard touchdown from
Tom Brady. Givens was the Patriots' record holder in postseason touchdown receptions until
2015, before being surpassed by
Rob Gronkowski who scored his eighth playoff touchdown against the
Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs on January 20, 2016, and has the second-longest streak of consecutive post-season games with a touchdown reception, with seven.
Tennessee Titans Givens signed a 5-year deal worth $24 million with the
Tennessee Titans on March 14, 2006. His
first season with the Titans ended prematurely in Week 10, after he tore his
anterior cruciate ligament. He also missed the entire
2007 season. On February 27, 2008, he was released by the Titans. In 2009 Givens sued the Titans for $25 Million claiming that his ACL tear was due to the Titans doctors failing to adequately test his knee, his lawsuit was dismissed in 2010.
NFL statistics == References ==