‘Jeopardy!’: Why Aaron Rodgers Says He Can Handle Hosting Full-Time and Remain Green Bay’s QB
NFL star Aaron Rodgers is winning over Jeopardy! fans while serving as guest host. Manning the lectern since April 5, the Green Bay Packers QB has proven he can handle the quiz board. Apparently, the Super Bowl champ feels he could juggle both commanding careers if given the opportunity to become the show’s permanent host.
Light filming schedule of ‘Jeopardy!’ makes it a great second gig for Aaron Rodgers
A longtime fan of Jeopardy!, Rodgers immediately wanted his name added to the roster of guest hosts when the opportunity arose. The NFL player noted that the sparse filming schedule of the game show would allow him to keep his job with the Packers if he were to be offered the gig full-time.
“I don’t think I’d need to give up football to do it,” Rodgers told The Ringer. “They film 46 days a year. I worked 187 this year in Green Bay. That gives me… 178 days to do Jeopardy! So I feel like I could fit 46 into that 178 and make it work.”
Though he’s only scheduled to be at the lectern for two weeks, the quarterback admitted he’d jump at the chance to be there permanently.
“It would be a dream job for sure, and I’m not shy at all about saying I want the job,” Rodgers revealed. “That’s how I went into it. I want an opportunity to be in the mix.”
What Aaron Rodgers brings to the ‘Jeopardy!’ table
Rodgers listed a plethora of reasons he’d be a solid choice to follow in the footsteps of game show icon Alex Trebek, who died in November 2020 from pancreatic cancer. The football player sees his age as a new twist for the role.
“I feel like I bring something different to the stage,” Rodgers remarked. “I’m the youngest of any of the guest hosts, I’d be the youngest host of just about any major game show.”
With a massive fan following from the football field, Rodgers comes with his own set of viewers that are both sports-minded and trivia fanatics.
“I bring an audience from the NFL, and I feel like I appeal to nerdy people, too,” he said. “I was a nerd in high school, and got caught in that weird phase of wanting to be a jock and an athlete, and also really caring about getting good grades.”
When did Aaron Rodgers win ‘Jeopardy!’?
Before serving as guest host, Rodgers was a contestant on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2015 and won the game. Playing against Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary and former astronaut Mark Kelly, Rodgers felt his years of watching the show gave him an edge over his competitors.
“They weren’t as big of fans as I was,” Rodgers said of O’Leary and Kelly. “I knew all the little things, the intricacies of the show, so I thought I was already well ahead as far as gameplay.”
Revealing that he’s been a viewer since childhood, Rogers’ loyalty to Jeopardy! and desire to pay homage to Trebek make him a strong contender for the full-time gig.
“There’s not many bigger fans of the show than me,” the Green Bay Packer commented. “I’ve been watching it for years and years and years. I respect the show and appreciate the history of it, and also there’s my background of stepping in for a legend and their footsteps. I feel like all that combined makes me a pretty good candidate.”
