Aaron Rodgers Steps up to Address Vacant ‘Jeopardy!’ Hosting Spot

Greenbay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers continues to prove he’s a man of many talents on and off the field. Rodgers, who received praised reviews during his guest host stint on Jeopardy!, reveals he would love to have taken on the permanent hosting gig had he been offered the job. “Yeah, I definitely would have. If they would have figured out a way to make it work with my schedule, yeah, for sure,” he told Mad Dog Sports Radio. “When you’re such a super Jeopardy! fan like I am, it’s just so special to be on that stage and be in that environment,” Rodgers said.

“It was just so much fun. I spent a lot of time studying and getting ready for it. I definitely wanted it,” he added. The job actually went to executive producer Mike Richards who ultimately passed on the opportunity after a series of scandals from the producer’s past resurfaced. “It pains me that these past incidents and comments have cast such a shadow on Jeopardy! as we look to start a new chapter,” Richards wrote in his statement.

He continued: “As I mentioned last week, I was deeply honored to be asked to host the syndicated show and was thrilled by the opportunity to expand my role. However, over the last several days it has become clear that moving forward as host would be too much of a distraction for our fans and not the right move for the show. As such, I will be stepping down as host effective immediately. As a result, we will be canceling production today.”

Rodgers may still have a chance, though he’ll face some tough competition. Sony Pictures Television also released a statement in support of Richards’ decision and will continue its hunt for a permanent host. Richards’ will stick around as EP, however. “We were surprised this week to learn of Mike’s 2013/2014 podcast and the offensive language he used in the past. We have spoken with him about our concerns and our expectations moving forward,” the studio shared.