18. Scott Mitchell, Detroit Lions (1997):
In 1993, Mitchell filled in admirably enough when legendary Hall of Famer Dan Marino went down with an injury for Miami, completing 13 passes for 1,773 yards with 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He parlayed that into a deal to become Detroit’s starting quarterback in 1994. Despite running an offense featuring running back Barry Sanders and wide receiver Herman Moore, his numbers actually dipped from the previous year, however.
Regardless, Mitchell was given a second chance for the Lions in 1995. He actually played very well with 346 completions for 4,338 yards with 32 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions, all great numbers. But it was that year that ultimately made him one of the NFL’s biggest free agent busts as well. His numbers once again dipped the following year in 1996, but the Lions still thought it wise to hand him a four-year, $28 million contract before the 1997 year nonetheless. He responded with better stats than his 1996 season, but nowhere near that of his career-best 1995. Mitchell was benched for journeyman Charlie Batch in the 1998 season. He flamed out of the NFL after stints with Baltimore and Cincinnati.
