NFL Free Agency: 30 worst free agency signings this century

12. Worst NFL free agency signings this century: Martellus Bennett

As was mentioned earlier, the Green Bay Packers often steer clear of the free agent market, but they have softened on that stance somewhat in recent seasons, as they have gone after a few big-name tight ends. First was Jared Cook, who was there for just one season. While he was a good player, he did miss a lot of time with injuries.

Then they went for Jimmy Graham, who had two years left on his contract. In between those two was Martellus Bennett, which was about the worst possible pairing in the world.

Bennett came over in 2017 after a solid career that included stops with the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots. While he was never considered a ‘problem player’, Bennett has always been outspoken and likes to push the envelope. That’s the exact opposite of what the Packers are as a professional football franchise.

Despite that being the franchise’s nature, Green Bay gave him a three-year, $21 million contract. The expectation was his presence would give Aaron Rodgers the weapon he needed to take the offense to the next level. That didn’t happen though, as Bennett played in just seven games and had 24 receptions with no touchdowns before being waived by the team.

Surrounding his release was a lot of back and forth regarding the disclosure of an injury suffered by Bennett. In the end, he rejoined the Patriots, who claimed him on waivers. Bennett managed to only play two more games before calling it a career.