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San Francisco 49ers: Ranking the 10 worst free-agent signings in franchise history

By Peter Panacy

ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 1: Reggie Bush #23 of the San Francisco 49ers is carted off the field after being injured in the second quarter against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on November 1, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - NOVEMBER 1: Reggie Bush #23 of the San Francisco 49ers is carted off the field after being injured in the second quarter against the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome on November 1, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images) /
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9 Jan 1999: Jamal Anderson #32 of the Atlanta Falcons being tackled by Gabe Wilkins #98 during the NFC Play Off Game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons defeated the 49ers 20-18.
9 Jan 1999: Jamal Anderson #32 of the Atlanta Falcons being tackled by Gabe Wilkins #98 during the NFC Play Off Game against the San Francisco 49ers at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The Falcons defeated the 49ers 20-18. /

No. 2: EDGE Gabe Wilkins

Signed in 1998 to a five-year, $20 million contract

For the first four years of his career with the Packers, EDGE Gabe Wilkins played under the shadow of Green Bay legend Reggie White.

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So when the 49ers signed Wilkins to a five-year deal back in 1998, they were hoping to get a protege in the mold of White to supplement their own pass rush — a unit needed to help overturn all those playoff losses to the Packers, previously.

Wilkins did next to nothing his first year in San Francisco, playing in eight games but registering only 10 tackles in the process. While he was hampered by a knee injury, his presence was essentially a non-factor.

In 1999, Wilkins’ efforts were slightly better, but not by much. He managed to start 15 games that year and even recorded a sack (woo hoo!). The knee injury was still bugging him, however, and Wilkins elected to retire in 2000.

So much for that $20 million failed experiment.