Saskatchewan Roughriders’ quarterback Cody Fajardo remains at the top of the team’s depth chart despite not participating in practice on Tuesday.
“It was a vet day for him today. We had probably three or four guys that we wanted to just basically sit and let them get their legs back, so he’s not benched,” Dickenson told the media in Regina. “We anticipate him starting on Saturday.”
Fajardo watched in pads as Mason Fine took first-team reps at quarterback, followed by Jake Dolegala with the second-team reps. The club is coming off a bye week, which led the media to question why Fajardo needed an extra day of rest heading into a critical game against Calgary on Saturday.
“Hey, trust me. Those guys need vet days,” said Dickenson. “A lot of them need some rest and he wasn’t the only one. We took it easy a little bit on [linebacker Larry Dean] today, [defensive back Mike] Edem. We try our best to try to let those guys get mental reps. They don’t need the physical at this stage.”
Fajardo has started all but one game for the Riders this season, missing their Week 7 loss to the Toronto Argonauts after contracting COVID-19. He has completed 70.3 percent of his passes on the year for 3,360 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has also rushed 79 times for 342 yards and eight touchdowns, going 6-9 as a starter.
Dickenson wouldn’t rule out the possibility of receiver Duke Williams (ankle) and defensive tackle Anthony Lanier II (head) playing this week, though he believes the chances of them doing so are slim. Running back Jamal Morrow is expected to return after missing the past eight weeks with a broken hand.
“It’ll just be nice to have a veteran back there, a guy that’s been there, done that. He’s going to be rusty, though. He hasn’t played in a couple of months but we’re happy to have him back, excited to get him some touches,” said Dickenson.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-10) are scheduled to host the Calgary Stampeders (10-6) on Saturday with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. Depending on whether or not the Hamilton Tiger-Cats beat the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, Saskatchewan’s game could be a must-win for them to remain eligible to make the postseason.
