Cody Fajardo to reassess CFL future after Grey Cup

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks/Mark Faure.

It seems the 113th Grey Cup could potentially be the last game of Cody Fajardo’s career.

The 34-year-old threw for a career-high 4,788 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2026, leading the Edmonton Elks to their first West Final win since 2015. Despite that, he’s planning to stick to the same routine he’s had in recent years, which is reassessing his desire to play after the season.

“It would be selfish of me to be up here and make a decision without sitting down with my wife,” said Fajardo on Tuesday. “Body-wise, I can play five to seven more years — I feel really good, my body feels great — but my wife sacrifices so much. I’ve been very honest and upfront about that.”

The native of Brea, Calif., is going up against his old team on Sunday. He led Montreal to a Grey Cup in 2023 after the team started the year with the longest odds to win it all. This season has felt eerily similar, as the Elks began 2026 with the worst Grey Cup odds in the league.

Fajardo was traded away by the Alouettes after the 2024 season. Though he doesn’t hold any ill will against his former club, he believes that his unwillingness to commit to the CFL long-term led to Montreal’s decision to trade him away and promote Davis Alexander to the starting role.

“Honestly, I think that’s what got me sent away,” said Fajardo. “I was upfront and honest with (general manager) Danny (Maciocia) about, ‘I don’t know, I’m taking it year by year.’ We have a process that we have, and when you’re playing your best football, it’s hard to walk away.”

“I’m a family guy, and my wife does so much with the kids and everything back home that it would be very selfish of me to make a decision here — especially an emotional decision.”

Maciocia confirmed as much when speaking to reporters on Thursday.

“Cody was one year at a time,” he said. “At the quarterback position, one year at a time — it’s a little bit more difficult, and I had a younger guy that I thought we can keep growing with.”

The decision has worked out well for both parties.

Fajardo has led the Elks to a turnaround on and off the field, as more than 40,000 fans attended the recent West Final. In Montreal, Alexander has led the Alouettes to back-to-back Grey Cups and become the first member of the team since Anthony Calvillo to win Most Outstanding Player.

“I’ll be forever grateful to Cody. Our names are engraved on that trophy, and he was a godsend at that point in time,” said Maciocia. “We needed him, and obviously he was coming off a difficult season in Saskatchewan, like Jason (Maas), and he helped groom someone like Davis, so I‘m glad it’s playing out the way it’s playing itself out right now.”

Chad Kelly recently reset the CFL’s quarterback market with a five-year contract worth just over $5.5 million. He will be the first player in the league’s salary cap era to earn more than $1 million per season.

Fajardo was the CFL’s eighth-highest-paid quarterback in 2026, earning a little under $400,000 in hard money. With incentives and playoff bonuses, he’ll earn closer to $450,000.

Based on his production this year, Fajardo deserves a substantial raise — particularly if he upsets the Alouettes at McMahon Stadium on Sunday. As a pending free agent, he’d be free to sign a new contract with the Elks or any other team with need at the quarterback position.

However, it doesn’t sound like the veteran passer will make any declarations regarding 2027 in the near future. Instead, he plans to let the dust settle after the Grey Cup and make his choice with careful consideration.

“Win or lose on Sunday, I’m not going to make an emotional decision,” said Fajardo. “I’m going to do the due process, and I’m going to take my time, but damn do I love being the starting quarterback for the Edmonton Elks. I love this football team, and we’ll see where it goes after this week and after this game, but it’ll be some great conversations, and hopefully a lot of happiness after this game.”

The Montreal Alouettes (15-4) and Edmonton Elks (14-5) will meet in the 113th Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Sunday, November 15, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. ET.

The Alouettes and Elks split their two meetings during the regular season. In June, Edmonton won 32-29 in overtime at Commonwealth Stadium, as running back Justin Rankin recorded 230 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. In August, Montreal won 48-30 at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, led by a 131-yard, three-touchdown performance from Tyson Philpot.

The weather forecast in Calgary calls for a high of 10 degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, RDS, and Crave in Canada, and CFL+ internationally.