Aaron Brooks Career Retrospective

I’ve always had a good dose of nostalgia when it comes to Aaron Brooks. The very first year I started watching the Saints and became a fan was the year I turned 12, in 2000. We all remember that year well, first playoff victory! Jeff Blake was the starter and when he went down, Aaron Brooks took over and led us to the playoffs and the thrilling win over the Rams.

I know in the following seasons, Brooks was inconsistent in his play. He would have these great games and then play poorly in others. This was the hallmark of the Jim Haslett years. 8-8 and 7-9 type of seasons.

Brooks had great weapons in receivers like Joe Horn and Donté Stallworth. He had a great running back like Deuce to hand off to. Still, he could never lead us back to the playoffs after that first season.

TOTAL SAINTS STATS
• Total passing yards: 19,156
• Touchdowns: 120
• Interceptions: 84
• Completion percentage: 56.4%
• Passer rating: 79.7
2. Rushing Stats:
• Total rushing yards: 1,410
• Rushing touchdowns: 13


Overall, I feel like Brooks had the skills, but lacked what his successor brought to the table, namely leadership. Comparing any QB to Drew Brees is tough, but Brooks was still good enough to keep the Saints from being bottom dwellers in his years there. He helped the Saints achieve a huge milestone with that first playoff win, so I think we’ll always be grateful for that.