National writer calls Jets' Aaron Rodgers NFL offseason loser

Perhaps New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers should've considered joining the San Francisco 49ers this spring, after all. 

For a piece published Friday, national NFL writer Mike Jones of The Athletic named Rodgers among the supposed "losers" from the 2023 NFL offseason. 

"...In leaving the NFC for the AFC, he now has a significantly tougher road to the Super Bowl," Jones said about Rodgers. 

Jones mentioned that Rodgers now will have to get past Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, young Los Angeles Chargers starter Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, motivated Cleveland Browns QB1 Deshaun Watson and a 2022 Most Valuable Player candidate in Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins to guide the Jets to a conference title. 

"After generally rolling through the NFC North annually, Rodgers will learn that winning a first-round AFC playoff game will be much more challenging — and that’s if Rodgers and the Jets even get out of the AFC East, where the Bills, (New England Patriots) and Dolphins all boast tough defenses," Jones continued. 

Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers held their postseason fate in their hands when they hosted the Detroit Lions in a Week 18 matchup this past January. Detroit, already eliminated from the playoffs at that time, stunned Green Bay 20-16 to essentially end Rodgers' run with the Packers. 

As for the 49ers, a team that presumably has an easier path to Super Bowl LVIII than the Jets, Fox Sports personality Craig Carton suggested in April that "Rodgers would absolutely want to play" for San Francisco. Former Jets quarterback and current "The NFL Today" analyst Boomer Esiason later poured cold water over Carton's theory, and Packers beat writer Matt Schneidman of The Athletic made it known before Rodgers joined the Jets that the 49ers had little chance of landing the future Hall of Famer this spring. 

As of Friday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the 49ers fourth among betting favorites at +1000 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII this coming February. The Jets were seventh on the list at +2000.