San Francisco 49ers: 10 best single-season performances in franchise history
By Peter Panacy
No. 9: EDGE Charles Haley in 1990
From a future Hall of Famer to an established Hall of Famer, Charles Haley.
Haley’s prowess in the annals of 49ers pass-rushers needs no introduction. His 66.5 career sacks with San Francisco ranks second on the franchise’s all-time list behind only defensive lineman Bryant Young.
And while Haley’s storybook career had plenty of ups and downs, which included the events leading to him being sent off to the Dallas Cowboys in 1992, there’s no doubt what Haley did on the field for the Niners was worth listing here.
Especially in 1990.
That was the year the 49ers were supposed to three-peat as Super Bowl champions. And for most of the regular season, it looked as it was going to happen. San Francisco boasted the league’s second-best scoring defense that season, and Haley’s prowess was a big reason why.
All he did was muster a cool 16 sacks that year, which was both a career high and narrowly missed former Niners defender Fred Dean’s franchise-best single-season sack mark of 17.5 set back in 1983.
Dean, another Hall of Famer, was a big part of San Francisco’s success in the early 1980s. But Haley is regarded as one of the most imposing pass-rushers in NFL history, and that fear-factor element, combined with his 1990 campaign, ensure he winds up on this list.