Elks acquire quarterback Cody Fajardo from Alouettes
The 2023 Grey Cup MVP joins Edmonton after two years in Montreal
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EDMONTON – A Grey Cup MVP will now be donning the Green and Gold.
The Edmonton Elks have acquired the rights to veteran quarterback Cody Fajardo from the Montreal Alouettes in exchange for the rights to quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the club announced Tuesday.
“We believe in the importance of depth at the quarterback position and having two dependable options behind centre in the Canadian Football League,” Elks VP of Football Operations & General Manager Ed Hervey said. “Cody is an accomplished CFL quarterback who will bring valuable experience to our locker room and organization.”
“We believe Cody can help this team and push Tre Ford to be the most successful quarterback he can be.”
Fajardo joins the Elks after two seasons with the Alouettes where he compiled a 16-12-1 record as a starter. As a member of the Als, the 32-year-old pivot threw for 6,967 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, while completing 72.1 per cent of his passes.
Fajardo was instrumental in the Alouettes capturing the 110th Grey Cup in a 28-24 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Brea, California native completed 21 of 26 passes for 290 yards and three touchdowns en route to being named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
AVAILABILITY:
- Elks VP of Football Operations and General Manager Ed Hervey will be made available upon request
The University of Nevada, Reno product is a nine-year Canadian Football League veteran, having suited up for the Toronto Argonauts, B.C. Lions, and Saskatchewan Roughriders in addition to his time with the Alouettes. Fajardo’s most prolific CFL season came in 2019 as a member of the Roughriders, where he led the league in passing yards with a career-best 4,302 yards – adding 18 passing touchdowns, 611 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns to just eight interceptions.
Since becoming a starter in 2019, Fajardo has not finished a season with a completion percentage below 69.6 per cent and currently sits ahead of former Elks quarterback Trevor Harris for the league’s all-time record in career completion percentage (71.0 to 70.7). He has also passed for at least 14 touchdowns in every season since 2019.
In his 124 game CFL career, Fajardo has amassed 17,998 passing yards, 83 passing touchdowns, 52 interceptions, and a 98.8 QB rating.
In addition to his passing prowess, Fajardo has also been a reliable quarterback in short-yardage situations, accumulating 41 touchdowns and 2,493 rushing yards on 497 carries.
