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Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) celebrates his touchdown pass to New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams (17) (not pictured) during the fourth quarter of their game against the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

'More Complex than AI;' Aaron Rodgers Receives Backdoor Jab from Pittsburgh Steelers Owner

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Robin M Adams | Last updated May 7, 2025 1:12 AM ET

Back in the summer of 2021, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers were at an impasse. As many will recall, the Packers made the controversial decision to not only select, but trade up for Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The message of that decision was clear to everyone: Rodgers’ time in Green Bay had an expiration date.

To his credit, Rodgers was an exceptional teammate and mentor to Love. Never once did he take out his frustration with the front office deciding to draft his successor on the young quarterback. But that did not mean the future Pro Football Hall of Famer was thrilled.

He was, in fact, livid. He used this, though, as motivation and won his third NFL MVP Award in 2020. After proving he was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Rodgers set his sights on a showdown with the front office and organization, intent on making them pay for slighting him.

Aaron Rodgers Went Toe-to-Toe with the Green Bay Packers Organization

After the 2020 NFL season, Rodgers took the Packers organization to task. He was not quiet about his displeasure with their drafting of Love, though it is important to note (once again) that he never took it out on his new protégé.

He did, however, have a great deal to say to and about the front office as a whole. Rodgers did not attend voluntary workouts during the offseason and even held out of training camp for a while.

In the midst of the feud, Packers CEO and President Mark Murphy was asked about his disgruntled star quarterback, and responded with a statement that, given what has happened with Rodgers throughout the last four years, is now considered by many to be accurate.

“I’m often reminded though of Ted Thompson, as most of you know, just a great general manager, passed away this past year, or excuse me earlier this year. [He] often talked about Aaron, that he’s a… and it wasn’t just Aaron, a lot of different players. He would say ‘He’s a complicated fella.’ So, I’ll just say that.”

Interestingly, a different NFL owner (though Murphy is not really an owner) just made a very similar statement about the future Hall of Famer.

Pittsburgh Steelers Minority Owner Says Aaron Rodgers Is More Complex than AI

It is well-known that Rodgers has an offer on the table from the Pittsburgh Steelers to play for them in 2025. Despite the fact that no other teams are interested in him, the four-time NFL MVP has not signed.

And while Pittsburgh has expressed optimism that he will eventually sign, Steelers minority owner Thomas Tull recently made a remark that raised some eyebrows.

While appearing on CNBC’s “Power Launch” to discuss artificial intelligence (AI), Tull was asked about Rodgers and his potential future in Pittsburgh. “I’m here to talk about AI, and that’s a more complex issue than artificial intelligence,” Tull replied.

The backhanded jab is not unlike the statement Murphy made four years ago about Rodgers being “complicated.” Perhaps, though, it is not something that the quarterback will view as an insult, per say. After all, his own documentary which was aired on Netflix last year was entitled “Enigma.”

Ironically, “Complicated, “complex,” and “enigma” are all appropriate words that could be used to describe Pittsburgh’s current quarterback situation.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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