113th Grey Cup Preview: Cody Fajardo’s odyssey comes full circle with multiple links between Edmonton and Montreal
This may be the first time that Edmonton and Montreal have met since the fantastic 2005 Grey Cup game, but it’s not
In the 110th Grey Cup, Edmonton Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo wasn’t playing in Alberta; he was leading the Montreal Alouettes to the Grey Cup. Now, he’s commanding the Elks back to the game for the first time since 2015, and the first-team in CFL history to go from fifth to first and make the Grey Cup.
One year later, the Alouettes lost in the East Final to a backup quarterback, Nick Arbuckle, and traded him to the Edmonton Elks for McLeod Bethel-Thompson in December of 2024.
“If you look at the decision, it’s clear they made the right one,” Fajardo said at CFL media day Thursday about the Alouettes trading him in favor of Davis Alexander.
Fajardo has been doubted throughout his entire career. He landed with the Alouettes after the Saskatchewan Roughriders moved on from him, and the Elks traded for him to be Tre Ford’s backup. After a 1-4 start, head coach Mark Kilam made the switch to Fajardo, and he nearly brought them to a playoff berth, finishing 6-7 with a stark command of the team.
That command has been massive for the Elks this season, as Fajardo finished 13-4 as a starter, including 8-2 in one-score games. The biggest reason for their success: Fajardo’s leadership. He gets it.
Head coach Mark Kilam asked Fajardo what he could do better after the 2025 season, and he told him he was focusing too much on special teams. That’s a big reason why the Elks are where they are in the Grey Cup.
“I try to meet with every player at the end of the season, and I’m always looking at myself first. What can I do better? And when you get feedback from your veteran players, your core players, you always take that to heart,” said Kilam during the coaches’ press conference.
“I was coordinating the special teams last year, so that was also important to me because I wanted to set the standard for that phase of football on that team, on a new team. Part of my growth as a second-year head coach is when I gave those duties up, I was able to spend more time in other areas on the football team, and for me personally, it was awesome to be more involved in the other sides of the ball. And I think that’s helped.”
That aspect has been huge for the Elks, as they found numerous ways to win games they were losing in 2025, from Fajardo’s determination to Kilam’s game management. Even though just winning football games is often enough for anyone, Fajardo isn’t just anyone; he loves to find extra avenues of motivation, and that came last year when the Roughriders beat the Alouettes in the Grey Cup.
“Yeah, it was a big role, and my wife gave me the green light. We watched that game together. It was just me and her. It was very intimate watching that game, and it was hard. It was almost like you wanted both teams to lose. You knew that wasn’t going to be possible, but that’s what you wanted. But seeing that, I remember my wife looking at me after the game and said, ‘You can get back there.’ And that’s all I needed to hear.”
Fajardo isn’t alone in having a smidge of revenge on his mind. He recruited wide receiver Austin Mack to join him out in Edmonton, and they connected on 82 receptions for 1,254 yards and nine touchdowns. Their connection has been a massive part of that success.
As much as Fajardo is motivated to win the game, he is far from the only one.
Edmonton needs to keep the ball away from Davis Alexander
If the Elks are going to win their first Grey Cup, the gamer Fajardo is going to need to maneuver the offense down the field consistently and take care of the football. These are the two best teams when it comes to taking care of the football, as the Elks are No. 1 in turnover margin (+23), with the Alouettes second (+21).
The key to sustaining drives may be Fajardo using his legs. He ran for 84 yards and a touchdown in the West Final, after running for 517 yards (leading all quarterbacks) and eight touchdowns in the regular season. The Alouettes may dedicate a spy to Fajardo to curb his ability on the ground, and that will be a major factor in how the Elks attack offensively.
Conversely, the Elks’ defense finished third in the league in sacks with 40, while the Alouettes set a franchise record with just 19 allowed. Alexander being sacked on just 2.7% of dropbacks shows how mobile he is. Finding a way to get pressure while containing Alexander could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Montreal needs to play within themselves
Montreal is going to be very motivated to win this game, as they were very close to getting a win last year over the Roughriders. They had a chance to tie the game last year, but Shea Patterson fumbled the ball inside the two-yard line.
We know the kind of season that this offense has had. Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead have been a historic duo, racking up 3,283 yards and 26 touchdowns. Their performance helped Alexander land his first Most Outstanding Player award, with Philpot earning Most Outstanding Canadian.
The one thing that the Alouettes need to be careful about is not forcing the ball to their stars. The Elks have the league’s No. 1 defense and will be focused on trying to limit both Snead and Philpot. Alexander will need to ensure he doesn’t force the football, something that he’s been good at this year with just four interceptions.
This game is primed to be one for the ages, and you won’t want to miss it. It airs at 6 p.m. ET on TSN, RDS, CTV, and Crave in Canada, along with CFL+ and DAZN worldwide.
