Pittsburgh Steelers fans expecting the team to announce the signing of four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers got some unexpected bad news during a cable news discussion about artificial intelligence.

Asked by CNBC about the free-agent quarterback, Steelers minority owner and TWG Global Thomas Tull may have revealed more than he intended.

‘I’m here to talk about AI, and that’s a more complex issue than artificial intelligence,’ Tull said.

The comment came after weeks of reports about the supposed mutual interest between the 41-year-old quarterback and the franchise he defeated in Super Bowl XLV as a member of the Green Bay Packers.

Owner Art Rooney II recently told reporters of Rodgers desire to join Pittsburgh, albeit while admitting his own impatience with the process.

‘We’re still kind of getting the same signals we’ve been getting recently that he does want to come here,’ Rooney told SteelersNow.com in a pre-draft interview. ‘I do think we may get word soon, obviously, with things starting to crank up here with the offseason programs. If he’s coming, we would like to get him here soon for some of that.’

The move all but ends any hopes Rodgers may have had of joining the Minnesota Vikings

Rodgers has also been linked with the Vikings since being released by the New York Jets, but Minnesota’s interest appears to have subsided given the recent addition of quarterback Sam Howell alongside 2024 first-round pick, JJ McCarthy.

Rodgers finally resurfaced last week, lifting the lid on his personal life and his future in the NFL .

‘I’m in a different phase of my life, I’m 41 years old, I’m in a serious relationship, I have personal commitments I’ve made… and people in my inner circle battling difficult stuff,’ Rodgers said. ‘To make a commitment to a team is a big thing.’

But not everyone is convinced Rodgers will resume his NFL career in Pittsburgh, where veteran Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard stand as the only compeтιтion under center. Former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbuam recently declared ‘it’s over’ for Rodgers, whom he sees as effectively retired.

‘Do you want your battlefield commander to be wallowing, looking at the Pacific Ocean, saying ”I’m not sure if I want to play?’ he said on ESPN’s First Take last month.

Steelers owner Art Rooney II does not have unlimited patience for Rodgers in free agency

‘Coach [Bill] Parcells used to say, ”When a player is talking about being retired, they are,’ he continued. ‘And if you want to be a winning frontline quarterback withstanding the rigors of a 17-game regular season, you want someone that’s in Pittsburgh right now in the offseason program.’

Despite a laundry list of issues on offense with the Jets in 2024, Rodgers finished eight in the NFL with 3,897 yards – more than eventual MVP and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. What’s more, Rodgers’ 28 touchdowns were tied for seventh with Allen.

Previously, during a 2021 interview with Pat McAfee, Rodgers appeared enthusiastic about Pittsburgh, which he called a ‘great blue-collar’ town.

He even praised Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin as a ‘fantastic coach who knows how to lead and [who] players love playing for.’