Montreal Alouettes’ general manager Danny Maciocia does not believe the odds are in his favour when it comes to retaining both of his current quarterbacks, veteran Cody Fajardo and up-and-comer Davis Alexander, for next season.
“Would I bet any money on it? No, I wouldn’t,” Maciocia told 3DownNation. “We need to look at all options before taking any decision. If we need to choose, we’ll choose. It’s an important decision and we’ll take all the time needed.”
While the 32-year-old Fajardo is under contract for another season, Alexander is a pending free agent and is expected to generate considerable outside interest at just 26 years old. Without each player accepting a new team-friendly deal, it will be impossible to keep them both.
“You can’t have two quarterbacks making starter money,” Maciocia acknowledged. “I’m not telling you something you don’t already know.”
Fajardo made a name for himself in his first season in Montreal, leading the team to a Grey Cup victory in 2023 and earning MVP honours in the big game. He got off to a hot start in 2024 but came back down to earth due to injuries, going 268-of-364 passing (73.6 percent) for 3,105 yards, 16 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 13 starts. He also rushed for 277 yards and three touchdowns, while posting a 7-5-1 record.
Alexander was a perfect 4-0 as the starter in relief of Fajardo, providing some of the year’s most memorable wins. He completed 105-of-151 passes (69.5 percent) for 1,347 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 166 yards and three majors.
The Portland State product earned the trust of Maciocia over the course of his third season with the Alouettes, putting forward a strong case that he is a future franchise quarterback. The question now is whether that will be in Montreal, something that would require both decisiveness from the organization and a long-term commitment from the signal caller.
“It’s not about money or talent but everything else. How Davis sees not only 2025 but also the following years. Will his family support him here? That’s also important,” Maciocia noted. “Money and talent can be figured out. Alexander is going to be a quarterback in this league for eight, 10, 12 years.”
Fajardo won’t be in the league for that long, as he’s poised to enter his 10th season next year and has previously contemplated retirement. He’s a proven franchise option in the short-term but, with a reported price tag of $482,000 next season, would not be compatible with Alexander based on both cost and available opportunities.
Speaking to the media on Monday, both quarterbacks expressed a desire to be the starter and shared their view that the current situation is unsustainable. Fajardo suggested that the presence of two star pivots could be a net negative for team chemistry, a fact that head coach Jason Maas pushed back hard against in his post-season comments.
“There is no division in our locker room, I can assure you that,” he said. “I can’t speak for fans or anyone outside this building. Whoever is in plays up to their ability; there are no questions asked. It takes a strong group to stick together, and that’s what we have in the locker room. I would never see that as a negative to have two qualified starting quarterbacks on our team.“
Nevertheless, if the Alouettes want to keep Alexander for his future potential, it will almost certainly require releasing or trading Fajardo. The optics of getting rid of a veteran starter just one season removed from a championship could be challenging, but Maciocia believes the transition would be easy.
“It would be a natural transition. Davis feels the beat of the locker room and don’t forget that most of his receivers are his age,” he said. “I know he spends a lot of time with them outside the field.”
That does not mean the team has decided on that course of action and it is entirely possible that Alexander will be at the reins of another franchise next season, with Fajardo allowed to build on his legacy in Montreal. If that were to happen, Maciocia does not feel the last three years of quarterback development would be wasted.
“No, I don’t think so,” he said after a brief pause. “We would need to go to work again and find the next quarterback to give him the team in two years.”
Either way, the Alouettes’ know there is a limit on Fajardo’s time with the organization, with the risk of busting if they ask the dealer to hit on another few years. The decision between him and Alexander will have an enormous impact on the franchise, though the man on the sideline feels that he’s playing with house money.
“I don’t think you can go wrong either way,” Maas concluded. “You have to pick one and believe in him.”
