17. Neil O’Donnell, New York Jets (1996):
O’Donnell had a decent enough career early on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The high point of that run was his appearance in Super Bowl XXX, but it ultimately led to two of the biggest free agent mistakes in NFL history involving the aforementioned Larry Brown and O’Donnell himself.
Pittsburgh offered O’Donnell a contract in 1996, but he chose to take the more lucrative path of an offer from the Jets. Signed to a five-year, $25 million deal, O’Donnell promptly led New York to a 0-6 record to start the 1996 season. He was then forced out for the remainder of the year with a shoulder injury. He was replaced by a player named Glenn Foley the following year after head coach Bill Parcells got sick of him. O’Donnell was then released by the Jets after the 1997 season when he refused to renegotiate his contract. He signed on with the Cincinnati Bengals but was eventually replaced in 1999, resurfacing with Tennessee and retiring after the 2002 season.
