As the new era of Jeopardy! rolls along, viewers are continuing to experience the revolving door of talent that has stepped in for hosting duties while the show looks for someone to take the job permanently. So far, viewers have seen the likes of Ken Jennings and Katie Couric take the reins, and a number of others are on the way. But today marks the beginning of Aaron Rodgers’ stint on the show. The Green Bay Packers quarterback seems more than excited to get started, so much so that it sounds like he would actually love to follow in Alex Trebek’s footsteps and take over the job full-time.
Most know Aaron Rodgers as a decorated professional football player with an incredible career that will eventually land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, he’s also proven to be quite inquisitive and, during an exclusive interview posted to Jeopardy!’s YouTube channel, he revealed why he loves the idea of hosting the show on a more permanent basis:
I think when I came on the show in 2015, I just saw how special this environment was. I remember thinking, this would be like a dream job, you know, if Alex ever retired at 90. To come back and be a part of this just because I love trivia so much and I just loved kind of the environment. It’s not like a super lax environment, there’s an intensity, a focus that comes with the game. I thought it would be a fun challenge and it definitely was.
When Aaron Rodgers competed on Celebrity Jeopardy! back in 2015, the Super Bowl winner cleaned up, winning $50,000, which he donated to MACC Fund (Midwest Athlete's Against Childhood Cancer). So there’s definitely no denying that Rodger’s knack for trivia is something that draws him to the role, but there seems to be something more.
Aaron Rodgers also mentions that there’s “an intensity” that comes to the job, which he seems to love. As an athlete playing at the highest level, he’s been in high-pressure situations, so he can more than relate with such an environment. All in all, Jeopardy!’s combination of trivia and intensity seem to be right up Rodger’s alley.
The only tricky aspect of this is Aaron Rodgers is still playing at a high level in his career and may not be looking to retire anytime soon. But the window for a new Jeopardy! host will only be open for so long. That would mean that if he were to hypothetically be offered the hosting position, he would probably have to make a tough decision.
Of course, there are a few other big names coming down the Jeopardy! hosting line that could also prove to be worthy successors to Alex Trebek. The Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik and CNN’s Anderson Cooper are only a few of the notable stars viewers can still look forward to.
Aaron Rodgers is going to have to prove himself as the host of Jeopardy!, but anyone who’s seen him in big playoff games knows he can live up to expectations. It’ll be fun to see what he brings to the job.
You can watch Jeopardy! in syndication daily, and look out for Aaron Rodgers, who will host the show until April 16th.
