How the Patriots' return will limit Rodgers' and Wilson's wishes to join AFC

The Patriots are back on the throne of the AFC. Despite the hellish conditions on Monday Night Football, the Patriots pulled out a win over the AFC's last line of defense. At this point, the Patriots are leading the conference with a quarterback still in his rookie season. It seems like the Patriots are starting another long era of dominance in the AFC.

Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson could be in the process of pulling themselves away from their respective homes. Rodgers and Wilson could both be looking for new teams in March, potentially on the heels of a Patriots Super Bowl win. Could the Patriots' return to dominance make the quarterbacks think twice about entering the AFC?

Why Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson may not want any part of the AFC after the Patriots' rise

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This is not a new tale. The Patriots rocket to the top of the AFC with a young quarterback and a grumpy but effective defensive mastermind. The two make a playoff run and put the rest of the AFC under their control with a revolving door of short-lived contenders that come and go.

Most of the NFL would agree that the writing is on the wall with the Patriots, likely including Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Both quarterbacks know they would have to fight through the Patriots every year if they decided to come to the AFC. Both quarterbacks have taken their lumps against Belichick. Would they want to essentially lock themselves in a room with him?

Of course, it is not the fact that the Patriots have ascended that is worrisome for them. The scarier thing is the level of competition around the Patriots. Even at a conference level, no team has shown to be anywhere near as dominant as the Patriots this season. Even with a head start and the Patriots' exit from the conference level over the last 18 months, no team has emerged as clearly dominant as the Patriots.

Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson know this. If they join the AFC, they could help a team make a deep playoff run, but the Patriots will always be there. The NFC is a constantly revolving door that leaves more opportunities to break through to the Super Bowl.

Basically, the road to the Super Bowl will likely run through the Patriots for the rest of Wilson's and Rodgers' careers. Do they really want to risk being like all of the other AFC quarterbacks that have tried and failed to supplant the Patriots over the last 20 years?