The San Francisco 49ers are back on the rise. They will enter the 2020 season as the top dog in the NFC after a 13-3 season that ended in a Super Bowl loss. Head coach Kyle Shanahan received a big extension and will look to lead the team to similar fate this season.
San Francisco added players like Travis Benjamin and Tom Compton in free agency. Arik Armstead signed a five-year deal to remain with the 49ers. San Francisco is hoping that these players avoid ending up on this list.
There have been some home run signings in Niners' history such as Deion Sanders, Tim McDonald, Ken Norton Jr., and Garrison Hearst. Despite all the highs, San Francisco is not immune to the lows.
Here are the five worst signings in franchise history.
5. Reggie Bush
Bush is one of the best collegiate running backs of all time. There is no scandal that can make fans forget what he did on the field during his time at USC. When the Houston Texans selected Mario Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, it shocked the world. Well, it turned out to be a good pick.
The New Orleans Saints landed Bush at No. 2 and he spent five unimpressive years with the team. Bush struggled with injuries and never eclipsed 600 yards rushing. In 2011, Bush landed with the Miami Dolphins and began to resurrect his career. He would rush for 1,086 yards before doing it again two years later for the Detroit Lions. This was enough for the Niners to take a chance on him in 2015.
If you do not remember Bush as a 49er, you are not alone. He played in just five games, making one start, before suffering an injury. Bush carried the ball eight times for 28 yards and had four catches for 19 yards. His time in San Francisco was over before it began.
The contract was just one year and worth $2.5 million. That is not the troubling part. It was confusing as to why the Niners would even sign Bush in the first place. Giving him any money to make one start and carry the ball eight times is a travesty.
4. Antonio Langham
Langham began his career with the Cleveland Browns. He was there for two years before spending two more with the Baltimore Ravens. During his time in Baltimore, Langham totaled eight interceptions. San Francisco needed help in the secondary and thought Langham would help strengthen the unit.
It turned out to be quite the opposite. Langham played 11 games in 1998, making five starts, after signing a five-year, $17 million deal. He gave up five touchdowns and committed eight pass interference penalties. This would be his only season with the 49ers.
San Francisco lost Langham in the 1999 expansion draft. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise given that it saved the team from having to pay a huge cap hit. Langham ended up back in Cleveland and will forever be remembered as an all-time free agency blunder by the Niners.
3. Nate Clements
It is normal for teams to try and pay their way out of mediocrity. It rarely works unless all signings hit, but it is a common practice. This is exactly what the 49ers were trying to do when they gave Clements an eight-year, $80 million deal in 2007.
This contract was already too long given Clements was 28-years old and would have been under contract until he was 36. He spent the first six years of his career with the Buffalo Bills where he was productive. Clements played in every game over six years and totaled 23 interceptions. Even year one in San Francisco was strong. Clements four interceptions and 14 pass deflections in 2007.
From there, it was all downhill. That would be his highest interception total with the Niners. Clements suffered a shoulder injury in 2009 that forced him to miss nine games. He lasted just four years with the Niners and would finish up his career with two mediocre years in Cincinnati.
When a team signs a player to an $80 million contract, they are hoping for that player to be one of the top at their position. This was not the case with Clements.
2. Jonas Jennings
The Jennings' deal made sense when it happened. The Niners had drafted Alex Smith first-overall the year before and needed to protect him. Jennings was 27-years old and spent four years in Buffalo where he was a big name lineman. He was one of the biggest available free agents and San Fran rewarded him with a seven-year, $36 million deal.
Jennings never played all 16 games in Buffalo. Well, in four years with the 49ers, he almost didn't play 16 games combined. The easiest way to put this is that Jennings was just one big injury. He played three games in 2005 and 13 the year later. This would be the only time that Jennings would play over five games.
Over the final two years of his career, Jennings played seven combined games. This means that in four years, Jennings played a total of 23 games for San Francisco.
This is one big series of unfortunate events but after a seven-year deal, it is easily one of the worst signings in franchise history. Jennings would not play for another team after 2008.
1. Lawrence Phillips
Phillips was a standout running back at Nebraska. His NFL career was not as decorated. Phillips played for the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins over his first two seasons. There were many red flags and reasons that he should not be signed, but San Francisco ignored all of them.
In 1999, the Niners signed Phillips to a two-year, $1.75 million contract. The amount was small but anything was too much. On the field, he played eight games with no starts and totaled 144 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He is known for just one thing in a Niners' uniform.
In a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Phillips completely whiffed on a block and allowed Aeneas Williams to lay a massive hit on Steve Young. This hit would eventually cause Young to end his career. Off the field, Phillips was even more of a mess. He eventually refused to attend practices or meetings.
The 49ers were forced to release Phillips during the first year of his contract. He was eventually arrested for assault and sentenced to prison. The decision to sign Phillips is one that will never make sense. His actions on and off the field land him at the top of this list.
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