Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wants to be part of another 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' tournament and he has an opponent in mind

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Aaron Rodgers' opponent this weekend is the Minnesota Vikings defense and the location is Lambeau Field as he and the Green Bay Packers look to keep their improbable playoff hopes alive this weekend.

But earlier this week, the Packers quarterback also had his mind on another opponent and tournament off the field.

The opponent: Cheech Marin in a "Celebrity Jeopardy!" tournament.

The NFL four-time MVP raised the proposition during his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday when the host brought up the academic credentials of Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, the 39-year-old Yale graduate whose team was defeated by Rodgers' Packers on Sunday.

"Did you feel that there's a guy near (your) intelligence level?" McAfee asked Rodgers while highlighting McDaniel's "big brain."

"My competition, I believe, is Cheech Marin," Rodgers said, referring to the 76-year-old comedian and actor. "If Mike can beat Cheech, then I'll take Mike on."

But Rodgers, who guest hosted the long-running game show for two weeks in 2021 and eyed the permanent hosting job, made it clear who he wants in a "Celebrity Jeopardy!" showdown.

"I want you, Cheech," Rodgers proclaimed, pointing his finger at the camera. "I want you."

Aaron Rodgers and Cheech Marin both are winners of 'Celebrity Jeopardy!'

Marin, who rose to fame for starring in the comedy act Cheech & Chong in the 1970s and 1980s and later had a lead role in the 1990s CBS show "Nash Bridges," is a multiple-time "Celebrity Jeopardy!" winner.

Marin won the first "Celebrity Jeopardy!" tournament in 1992. He returned in 2010 and topped journalist Anderson Cooper and actress Aisha Tyler on "Celebrity Jeopardy!'s Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational."

Marin would have strong competition with Rodgers. Rodgers also has a first place "Celebrity Jeopardy!" honor on his résumé. Rodgers' win over businessman and entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary, also known as Mr. Wonderful, and astronaut Mark Kelly in 2015 netted him $50,000 for the MACC Fund.

Rodgers and Marin have other similarities

Besides his acting and "Jeopardy!" accolades, Marin is known for being a strong advocate of the legalization of marijuana, saying in interviews he smoked every day at the height of his success. He also said he used LSD regularly.

Rodgers made note of Marin's love for marijuana on Tuesday. Do you know what Cheech is famous for saying, Rodgers asked the hosts?

"It's a plant, bro," Rodgers said.

Rodgers, of course, also made that statement during an appearance earlier this season on "The Pat McAfee Show" when advocating for ayahuasca, claiming the psychedelic isn't a drug because it's a plant. Rodgers has used the plant-based hallucinogen, during recent offseasons in Peru.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers won "Celebrity Jeopardy!" in 2015.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers won "Celebrity Jeopardy!" in 2015.

Rodgers' 'Celebrity Jeopardy!' tournament idea is exactly how the current Mayim Bialik-hosted primetime series is playing out

But back to that "Celebrity Jeopardy!" tournament.

Rodgers said there should be a series of matchups among celebrities that produce nine winners. From there, three semifinal games would take place. The winners of each would advance to a final.

That is the format of the current "Celebrity Jeopardy!" series that began airing in primetime this fall on ABC. The show is hosted by Mayim Bialik. The series, which has been on a break since Nov. 13, resumes with more quarterfinal matchups Jan. 5. It will air weekly until the finals Feb. 2.

Actors Ike Barinholtz and Wil Weaton have already advanced to the finals.

AJ Hawk, one of McAfee's co-hosts, had an opponent for Rodgers: Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is retiring as the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, and who became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Fauci, bring it on," said Rodgers, who is never one to hide his feelings about COVID-19.

McAfee showed a clip from Rodgers' 2015 "Celebrity Jeopardy!" appearance on Tuesday, which showed the Packers quarterback sporting a blue cardigan.

"Look at that outfit I'm wearing," Rodgers said. "That is all time."

Rodgers also commented about his appearance, which was before he cut out dairy and gluten from his diet. Rodgers likes his thinner look now, but he noted that his buddy and teammate David Bakhtiari tells him that when Rodgers was "fat we were winning championships."

Whether Rodgers can win another Super Bowl championship is to be determined, but he definitely has his eye on another "Celebrity Jeopardy!" title.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers wants to face Cheech Marin in Celebrity Jeopardy!