QB Fajardo believes Elks can contend for Grey Cup - BERITAJA

EDMONTON – After the Tre Ford backmost research grounded past year, the Edmonton Elks turned to the about meticulous passer successful CFL history successful hopes of ending 5 years of futility.

Veteran signal-caller Cody Fajardo, who joined the squad past twelvemonth and signed a one-year statement hold this offseason, isn’t shying distant from lofty expectations.

It took conscionable 1 two-hour training campy convention connected Sunday for the two-time Grey Cup champion to state this year’s roster “good capable to triumph a Grey Cup.”

Bold words for a squad that has missed the CFL playoffs the past 5 years and hasn’t posted a winning regular-season grounds since 2017. Still, the first 2 days of training campy astatine aged Clarke Stadium — tract of immoderate of the franchise’s awesome moments — were filled pinch enthusiasm and optimism.

The 34-year-old Fajardo said players talk about winning the Grey Cup connected Day 1 and past “stop talking about it because past you want your attraction to beryllium correct successful beforehand of you.”

“But you person to fto the guys cognize what the extremity end is. And the extremity end is simply a Grey Cup. We person a Grey Cup-winning roster,” he said.

That would people a monolithic turnaround for a squad that vanished 7-11 the past 2 seasons and will play its location accumulation crippled astatine Clarke Stadium earlier returning to Commonwealth Stadium, which is undergoing upgrades that see caller turf up of a pre-World Cup shot friendly.

Starting the play arsenic the No. 1 backmost is simply a domiciled Fajardo knows well, truthful past twelvemonth — erstwhile he stood connected the sidelines and watched Ford and the squad stumble to a 1-6 commencement — became a learning acquisition for the nine-year CFL veteran. Ford departed for Hamilton connected a two-year woody successful the off-season.

“Last twelvemonth was caller for me, and it helped maine turn successful ways that I didn’t deliberation I would beryllium capable to grow,” said Fajardo, who owns the highest profession completion percent successful CFL history astatine 71.53 among qualified quarterbacks. “So I grew arsenic a player, I grew arsenic a human, I grew arsenic a man, arsenic a quarterback. So I’m conscionable implementing that into this training camp.”

He showed what he could do erstwhile he took complete the starting domiciled midway done past season. Fajardo, who won Grey Cups successful 2017 pinch Toronto and 2023 pinch Montreal, completed 282 of 385 passes for 3,409 yards — the third-highest full of his profession — and 14 touchdowns.

He besides rushed for 319 yards and 7 TDs.

All the Grey Cup talk will ringing hollow if the squad can’t debar different mediocre start. The Elks opened 1-6 past play aft going 0-7 successful 2024, 0-9 successful 2023 and 2-7 successful 2022.

“It’s everything correct now for us,” Fajardo said of needing a beardown start. “Those early games are really four-point games because they group you up later on, and you don’t want to beryllium successful that chase-pack mentality erstwhile everybody’s jockeying for position. At the extremity of the year, you want to put yourself successful the driver’s seat, and the only measurement you could do that is by winning early.”

He’s assured it could hap because, dissimilar erstwhile seasons, location was nary awesome overhaul to the roster.

“We don’t person a bunch of caller guys coming in, we don’t person caller systems that we person to learn. So we’re capable to person that continuity and jell a small spot quicker. And truthful I’m excited for that, and I’m excited conscionable to spot really these days proceed to advancement and really we proceed to get amended offensively, defensively, typical teams.”

And make nary mistake, this type of the Elks — which hasn’t made the playoffs since the franchise changed its sanction successful 2020 — won’t beryllium contented to simply make the playoffs.

“This isn’t a squad that, oh, we conscionable want to make the playoffs. Oh, we conscionable want to make a run,” said Fajardo. “We want to triumph a Grey Cup. And this roster is bully capable to triumph a Grey Cup.

“And for me, you know, you only person truthful galore years left. So I’m successful the business of winning games, and I’m successful the business of winning Grey Cups. And truthful you talk about it Day 1, and past aft that you attraction connected really we get amended to get to that extremity goal.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published May 11, 2026.