Ticking Off Decade Old Wish, Aaron Rodgers Returns From Egypt Trip While No.1 Bucket List Item Continuing to Evade Jets QB

Aaron Rodgers just pulled off a Houdini act that would make even the most elusive running back jealous. The Jets‘  signal-caller materialized stateside after a mysterious Egyptian excursion, leaving Gang Green fans scratching their heads harder than a linebacker trying to decipher a Tom Brady audible.

The 40-year-old gunslinger missed the Jets’ mandatory minicamp, earning an “unexcused absence” from head coach Robert Saleh. But faster than you can say “Omaha!”, Saleh changed his tune: “Aaron and I are on the exact same page. There’s no issue between Aaron [and I] or his teammates for that matter.”

While Rodgers was reportedly busy channeling his inner Indiana Jones in Egypt, his former Packers teammate Marquez Valdes-Scantling spilled the beans on “The Herd.” He revealed he caught up with the quarterback in Los Angeles.

“Me and Aaron have been great friends since I had been in Green Bay. I hit him up, told him I was coming out to LA, and said, ‘Let’s run some routes.'” The two connected for some practice reps at a local high school, proving Rodgers can still thread the needle even after a pyramid scheme.

This Egyptian adventure wasn’t just a Hail Mary from Rodgers’ travel playbook. Nine years ago, he shared his bucket list with ESPN Wisconsin, and visiting the land of the pharaohs was right up there with hosting “Saturday Night Live.” It seems Rodgers is determined to score both on and off the field.

Where does Aaron Rodgers fit in SNL’s gridiron hall of fame?

While Rodgers has crossed Egypt off his list like a linebacker crushing a running back, the “SNL” hosting gig remains his white whale. He’s not the first NFL star to set his sights on Studio 8H, but can he measure up to the gridiron greats who’ve already taken that stage?

Travis Kelce, the Chiefs‘ tight end, fresh after the Super Bowl win against Eagles last year,  ran a perfect route on “SNL,” appearing in nine sketches. As the AV Club put it, Kelce “proved himself as one of the season’s most agile hosts.” He even made a surprise encore appearance 8 months ago and was seen poking fun at the NFL’s obsession with his rumored Taylor Swift romance, proving he can catch laughs as easily as he catches passes from Patrick Mahomes.

Speaking of Mahomes, the Chiefs’ QB has been more gun-shy about hosting SNL than a rookie facing J.J. Watt. He admitted to TIME in April this year, “I have a little bit of a fear with the teleprompter,” showing that even MVPs can get stage fright.

But the gold standard for NFL players on “SNL” was set by Peyton Manning. His 2007 appearance is still talked about more than his Super Bowl wins, with the “United Way” sketch becoming an instant classic. Manning’s deadpan delivery had some folks wondering if he’d missed his calling as a comedian.

Other NFL stars have taken their shot at Studio 8H with varying degrees of success. Tom Brady proved he could score laughs in 2005, though his “Sexual Harassment and You” sketch might not fly in today’s end zone. Eli Manning tried to live up to his brother’s legacy in 2012, shining in the “Little Brothers” sketch. Even the infamous O.J. Simpson hosted back in 1978, in an episode that Sports Illustrated recalled, had him using “voodoo magic to stop Walter Payton from breaking his rushing record.”

Rodgers has the charisma and the quick wit, but does he have what it takes to join this lineup of legends? Only time will tell if he can audible his way onto that coveted stage. For now, Jets fans are just hoping he can lead their team to glory – or at least past the Patriots in the AFC East.

And who knows? Maybe his next touchdown celebration will involve a Pharaoh’s headdress and a “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” Just don’t expect him to use the “Turd Ferguson” answer if he ever returns to “Celebrity Jeopardy!”