Fajardo Faces Familiar Foes in Hard-Fought Loss to Roughriders
So here’s the story everyone’s talking about right now in the CFL: Cody Fajardo finally got his shot to face his former team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but it didn’t go exactly the way he—or the Edmonton Elks—had hoped.
After much speculation throughout the week, the Elks made it official—Fajardo was named the starting quarterback ahead of Friday night’s matchup in Regina. And for anyone following his journey, this was a bit of a full-circle moment. Fajardo spent three seasons with the Riders and was even their starter during that time. He’d later go on to win the 2023 Grey Cup with Montreal before landing in Edmonton this offseason. So, facing Saskatchewan? Yeah, that meant something.
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But this homecoming was anything but warm. The Riders’ defence came out absolutely ruthless . Eight sacks on the night. Yes—eight. And Fajardo was under pressure pretty much all game long. Despite that, he actually played a strong game statistically: he completed 26 of 33 passes for 346 yards and two touchdowns. But stats only tell part of the story.
The Riders' pass rush was relentless. Micah Johnson and Shane Ray each had two sacks, and it was clear they weren’t going to let Fajardo get comfortable. In fact, it was that same pressure that snuffed out Edmonton’s final drive as they were pushing for a game-tying field goal in the dying seconds. A 21-18 finish in favour of Saskatchewan.
On the flip side, Riders quarterback Trevor Harris was as efficient as ever. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns, continuing his league-best completion streak. Samuel Emilus was clutch too, hauling in all six of his targets for 113 yards, including a 15-yard rushing TD on a jet sweep.
Even though the Elks fell short, there were glimmers of fight. Fajardo led two late touchdown drives, including a 57-yarder to Kaion Julien-Grant and another to Steven Dunbar Jr. It brought the Elks within three points, and for a second, it looked like a comeback might happen. But the Riders' D, once again, slammed the door shut.
Looking ahead, Edmonton will try to regroup next week against Hamilton, while Saskatchewan—now sitting at 6-1—heads east to face Montreal.
So yeah, Fajardo finally faced the team he once led, and while he showed flashes of his old self, the Riders reminded everyone exactly why they’re sitting atop the West.
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