‘Jeopardy!’ Champion James Holzhauer Reveals Major Update About His Future on the Show

James Holzhauer, the unapologetic Jeopardy! “supervillain” known for his record-shattering runs and razor-sharp wit, is dominating the current Jeopardy! Masters competition. But even as he sits at the top of the leaderboard, Holzhauer has confessed that he has his sights set on something unexpected: a return to the standard weekday version of Jeopardy!.

This revelation surfaced through a new interview with Vulture, in which Jeopardy! executive producer Michael Davies discussed the show’s rules, Holzhauer’s ambitions, and the ever-present question of whether fans will ever see a long-awaited rematch between Holzhauer and legendary champion-turned-host Ken Jennings. Holzhauer has openly nudged for such a showdown; early in the Masters event, he even used a Final Jeopardy response to jokingly accuse Jennings of avoiding him.

When asked whether that dream match could ever happen, Davies explained one of the show’s strictest traditions: “One of the rules laid down by Jeopardy!’s greats is that once someone serves as host, they can never return as a contestant.” Reflecting on Jennings’ future, he added that Jennings has personally expressed that he considers himself retired from competing. Still, Davies admitted he’s more flexible than some purists. He compared the situation to golf, where icons like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus continued playing in Masters tournaments long after hosting major events. “Would I like to see Ken and James face off again? Absolutely,” he said. “But that decision isn’t mine alone.”

Even more intriguing was Davies’ recounting of a private moment in which Holzhauer revealed his deepest wish: to come back to regular weekday Jeopardy!. According to Davies, Holzhauer told him that his wife wondered whether the ultimate prize for winning the Masters could be permission for the champion to re-enter the Monday-through-Friday version of the game. “What he wants more than anything else,” Davies said, “is to go back on the show.”

Holzhauer’s desire is complicated by longstanding Jeopardy! eligibility rules. Under current policy, anyone who has already competed in regular play cannot return, no matter how many years have passed. That includes Holzhauer, who became a household name during his extraordinary 32-game winning streak in 2019 and later captured the Tournament of Champions title.

Davies, however, admitted that he has been rethinking this rule. As part of his broader effort to reshape Jeopardy! into a more dynamic, sports-like enterprise since becoming showrunner in 2021, he has introduced new tournaments and adjusted gameplay structures to better reward elite competitors. Now, he is questioning whether the existing policy of banning former contestants from returning is still the best approach.

“We say we want the strongest possible players competing on the Alex Trebek Stage,” Davies noted. “So should we really be excluding people just because they’ve played once before? I’m not convinced.” He suggested there may be future stars who stumbled early or players like Holzhauer who could elevate the game even further if given another chance. “There could be another James Holzhauer out there who just had one bad day,” he said.

Holzhauer fueled the conversation further by sharing the Vulture piece on social media, implicitly confirming that he would leap at the chance to join regular Jeopardy! again. Quoting Davies’ comment that he “laughed but didn’t say no,” Holzhauer playfully hinted that the door may not be closed. Fans quickly rallied behind him online, calling on the show to make his return possible. One commenter argued that Holzhauer could earn more from a renewed run in daily competition than from the Masters purse, while another simply pleaded: “Make it happen @Jeopardy.”

Though he leans into a mischievous, cocky onscreen persona, Holzhauer also used the platform to highlight the generosity of his fellow Masters competitors. He praised Amy Schneider and Sam Buttrey—both of whom were eliminated from the tournament on May 17—particularly Schneider’s willingness to travel to Las Vegas at her own expense to participate in a charity fundraiser organized by Holzhauer’s family. Calling her “an inspiration” and “a phenomenal Jeopardy! player,” he emphasized that she is an even better person offstage.

With Masters in full swing and a growing debate about Jeopardy!’s future format, Holzhauer’s surprising aspiration adds a compelling twist to the conversation. Whether the show’s rules will evolve enough to allow him—and possibly other former champions—to reenter regular competition remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that one of the game’s brightest stars isn’t done with Jeopardy! just yet.