Patrick Mahomes opens up on Aaron Rodgers signing with Jets, being in AFC

• NFL

Patrick Mahomes says Aaron Rodgers' arrival to the AFC doesn't really increase his motivation levels as the reigning NFL MVP says he has been competing against great quarterbacks pretty much since coming to the league. After spending his first 18 seasons in the NFC and playing for the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers agreed to come to the AFC and be traded to the New York Jets.

Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen are considered the three probably best quarterbacks in the league right now - all of them play in the AFC. Lamar Jackson, who agreed to stay with the Baltimore Ravens this offseason, is also still in the AFC.

Now, Rodgers has joined a list of star quarterbacks competing in the AFC.

Mahomes on if Rodgers' arrival motivates him even more

"I don’t think it motivates me anymore, but the crazy part was when you play those great quarterbacks, you expect to play them at some point in the playoffs, in the Super Bowl, that should be your goal.

And so they come to the AFC, it just makes the AFC even better. But I’ve been lucky enough to play in a division where it’s like playoff football every single week and people wonder why we have so much success, and I’m like when you play playoff football teams when you get to the playoffs, it doesn’t seem like it’s such a big transition.

So if you tell yourself that and you go through the AFC, and you’re winning AFC games week in and week out when you get to the playoffs and you get to the Super Bowl, you’re like, 'I’ve been playing this type of football yearlong,'" Mahomes told Complex.

The AFC features several teams that will enter the 2023 season feeling good about their Super Bowl chances. Last season, Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl win and showed everyone he was still the man. In 2023, Mahomes will be on a mission to lead the Chiefs to back-to-back Super Bowl wins.