Thibodaux, La. ? Aaron Brooks, the New Orleans Saints’ starting quarterback, is unhappy that he makes less than most NFL quarterbacks, let alone his own backups.

He’s also unhappy that management hasn’t done anything about it yet. Brooks and the Saints are trying to renegotiate his contract, which currently pays Brooks the fourth-year minimum of $450,000 this season.

“I don’t think they should have waited to renegotiate my contract,” Brooks said Tuesday. “I don’t accept that they had to get the others done first. I’d think they would want to keep me happy and show that they appreciate me, but they haven’t done it.”

Brooks, who is entering the final year of his contract, stayed out of training camp for the first three days to show his unhappiness.

His salary makes him the third lowest-paid starter in the league. He will also make less this season than 34 players on the Saints roster including No. 2 quarterback Jake Delhomme ($563,000), and third-string quarterback Jeff Lewis ($550,000).

New England’s Tom Brady will make $432,873 this season and Mike McMahon of Detroit will make $337,666.

Mickey Loomis, who took over as the general manager in May when Randy Mueller was fired, said he needed to sign the team’s draft picks and extend coach Jim Haslett’s contract before concentrating on Brooks.

“I don’t accept that,” Brooks said. “I just know there’s no reason for not re-negotiating with me.”

Loomis said he talked to Brooks’ agent, Andre Colona, earlier this week, but nothing was worked out.

Brooks wouldn’t speculate on what the was causing the impasse.

“You need to ask them that,” Brooks said. “Ask them why they’re not showing me respect after all I’ve done for them.”

The starter for New Orleans since taking over for Jeff Blake in the 10th game of the 2000 season, Brooks led the Saints to the only playoff victory in team history.

Last year he was less successful late in the season, when the Saints lost the last four games of the season.

Brooks threw 13 interceptions and only seven touchdowns while the Saints were outscored 160-52 in those four games.

“I learned from that,” Brooks said. “I’m a lot better quarterback this year. I know now that I can’t be responsible for every player on the team. I just have to do my job.”

Brooks completed 55.9 percent of his passes for 3,832 yards and a team-record 26 touchdowns last season. He also set team records for rushing yards by a quarterback (358) and total yards (4,190), but threw a total of 22 interceptions.

This year the 26-year-old Brooks seems more mature and more in charge on the field.

He said he has learned not to rely on one or two receivers as he did last year. And he likes the offense he’s running, one speeded up with the addition of No. 1 draft pick Donte Stallworth and free agent Jerome Pathon at wide out.

“What you’re seeing is a lot of players getting smarter, including me,” Brooks said. “We didn’t always play smart last year.”