To say Jeopardy!'s search for a host has a bust would be an understatement. Every week, fans seemed excited (or perturbed) by the guest hosts and were quick to share their thoughts on whether they could fill Alex Trebek’s shoes. One of the most-talked guest hosts was Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who proved that he was more than capable of handling a weekly trivia show. While football fans turned in, they seemed to worry about what it could mean for the beloved player's playing career. Well, according to the NFL MVP, he could be playing a few more years.
While his guest stint received somewhat mixed responses, Aaron Rodgers seemed to enjoy his time on Jeopardy!. Of course, considering that he's a big fan, hosting the game show was a dream come true for him, yet it also posed the serious question of whether Rodgers was ditching football for hosting. According to the Packers quarterback, the question isn’t necessary, and he recently explained why doing Jeopardy! didn’t spell the end of his NFL career:
During this offseason I was thinking about what I want to do [after football is over and] I was thinking there’s a lot of things, I meant to and I mentioned sitting outside of football. I guest-hosted Jeopardy! and I love you know the acquisition of knowledge and learning and traveling and games like that. I was actually on celebrity Jeopardy! and won it against a couple of guys that were pretty smart [I beat Senator Mark Kelly and Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank]. There’s nothing really better that I do than play football but there’s really nothing better that I do than play football so I guess I should keep doing it for a few more years.
Aaron Rodgers’ words are sure to come as a relief for millions of football fans. At age 37, he is still proving to be one of the most reliable players in the NFL, despite some setbacks in recent years. It's honestly not too surprising that he plans on tossing the pigskin around for a few more years. I mean, just look at Tom Brady’s two-decade career. But at the very least, the NFL star is considering what might lie ahead in his post-football career. And that still can include hosting, as he could always return to Jeopardy! or try his hand at another game show.
Given recent developments surrounding former Jeopardy! executive producer Mike Richards, Aaron Rodgers might get another chance to stand at the podium. He’ll have some stiff competition from the likes of RuPaul and fan-favorite LeVar Burton. At this point, it would seem that Mayim Bialik will host for a while following Richard's departure, though there's a chance another string of guest hosts is brought in.
Despite his love for the game, the NFL MVP did share some thoughts about the sport. Aaron Rodgers specifically expressed his belief that the culture surrounding football tends to put the players in a box. During his interview with Haute Living, he further admitted that the sport has bred some pre-conceived ideas about players, which he tries to combat. He also mentioned that he tries to cultivate interests and ideas outside the sport in order to help him find a personal balance, and the NFL star has made it his mission to inspire his teammates to do the same.
It's refreshing to hear Aaron Rodgers speak about his aspirations outside of football. And what's even better is that he uses his influence to help others to do the same. Hopefully, his enthusiasm for his non-football hobbies leads to other unique opportunities like Jeopardy!.
Jeopardy! Season 38 premieres in syndication on September 13.
