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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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SAN FRANCISCO – OCTOBER 07: Running back Willis McGahee #23 of the Baltimore Ravens gains yards against Tully Banta-Cain #95 of the San Francisco 49ers at Monster Park October 7, 2007 in San Francisco, California. Baltimore won the game 9-7. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO – OCTOBER 07: Running back Willis McGahee #23 of the Baltimore Ravens gains yards against Tully Banta-Cain #95 of the San Francisco 49ers at Monster Park October 7, 2007 in San Francisco, California. Baltimore won the game 9-7. (Photo by Allen Kee/Getty Images) /

No. 8: Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain

Signed in 2007 to a three-year, $12 million contract

Not unlike the 49ers rebuild of 2017, the team was going through another reconstruction back in 2007 under then-head coach Mike Nolan.

Bringing in former New England Patriots linebacker, and Bay Area native, Tully Banta-Cain was supposed to improve the defense and instill a Super Bowl-winning mentality to a team that had become the laughingstock of the NFL earlier that decade.

And initially, it looked as if that was the case.

Banta-Cain’s first year in San Francisco replicated the numbers he had the previous year with New England, and he also managed to recover a fumble and score a game-winning touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in November that year.

The following season, however, Nolan became disenfranchised with Banta-Cain, and the linebacker was listed as inactive for the 49ers’ first four games of 2008. Banta-Cain was then subsequently used mostly on special teams that year, finally being released early in 2009.

Banta-Cain then went on to sign back with the Patriots shortly afterwards, where he managed a career-high 10.0 sacks.

The only reason Banta-Cain isn’t higher on this list is due to his relatively solid first year in San Francisco.