Edmonton pursued Riders’ quarterback Cody Fajardo in free agency

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

The Eskimos were suitors for Cody Fajardo in February.

General manager Brock Sunderland offered Fajardo a contract.

“Just in free agency, he called me and reached out and there was an opportunity for me to come here but I felt the Sask opportunity was a lot better for me.  So just this off-season we spoke a little bit on the phone during free agency,” Fajardo said.

Edmonton signed Trevor Harris to a two-year $1.1 million deal to be the franchise quarterback. The role presented for Fajardo was to be a backup for Harris.

“I took all my offers and sat down with my family and picked the best one for me. All signs pointed here,” Fajardo said.

As Saskatchewan’s starter, Fajardo has led the Riders to an 11-5 record. He’s thrown for 3,873 yards while completing over 71 per cent of his passes with 16 touchdowns against eight interceptions. The dual-threat QB has used his legs for 610 yards and 10 touchdowns on 106 rushing attempts, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Should Fajardo make every possible dollar on his contract until the end of the current season, it would be around $150,000 for a starting quarterback. Fajardo earned a fresh two-year contract extension from the Riders worth potentially three times the 2019 amount.

The young QB made the right read and became the face of Saskatchewan’s beloved franchise.