24. Worst NFL free agency signings this century: Aaron Brooks
For the Oakland Raiders, their move in 2006 to get Aaron Brooks was bad for two reasons. One was that he struggled as a starter for them. The other issue was that with Brooks not panning out as the Oakland starting quarterback, this led the Raiders to select one of the biggest busts of all-time.
Brooks was originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. After spending his rookie season as the third quarterback for Green Bay, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints. Brooks entered his first season as a backup but was thrust into the starting lineup when Jeff Blake broke his foot.
In his first start, he led the Saints to a win over the defending Super Bowl Champion St. Louis Rams. That win catapulted him to the No. 1 spot, as he entered 2001 as the starting quarterback. Brooks had a solid run, remaining the starter for five seasons. He had 19,156 yards passing with 120 touchdowns against 84 picks.
He then hit the open market in 2006 after the Saints released him following a rough season. That’s when Oakland came calling, although they were trying for Drew Brees, who ended up going to the Saints where he became a star.
Brooks didn’t do as well as his replacement. He was named the starter for the Raiders, but that only lasted eight games. He struggled in those starts, throwing just three touchdowns and eight interceptions. The team was also 0-8 with him under center.
The second year of his contract wasn’t picked up, as the Raiders decided to move on. Unfortunately for them, this is where the huge draft bust came in as they replaced Brooks with JaMarcus Russell. The No. 1 pick from LSU flamed out fast, but may not have been an option had Brooks played well.