Montreal Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo will not get a chance to face his former team in 2023, as he has been ruled out ahead of Friday night’s matchup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The 31-year-old was named a game-time decision due to a left shoulder injury suffered during Montreal’s Week 9 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He did not practice on Tuesday and was a limited participant on Wednesday. Despite optimism from both he and head coach Jason Maas earlier in the week, he was deemed unable to play after taking the field for warm-ups.
The six-foot-two, 233-pound pivot has completed 67.0 percent of his passes for 1,877 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions so far this season, helping lead the Alouettes to a 4-3 start. He has also carried the ball 31 times for 174 yards and three touchdowns.
Fajardo spent the past three seasons in Saskatchewan, coming out of nowhere to become the team’s face of the franchise after an opening-week injury to Zach Collaros in 2019. He threw for 10,632 yards with 48 touchdowns and 32 interceptions with the club while also rushing 266 times for 1,436 yards and 22 scores, but fell out of favour during a disappointing 2022 season and was benched for the final two games.
Friday is the first and only regular-season game between the Alouettes and Riders this season. Fajardo will remain in uniform in an emergency capacity, while Caleb Evans makes the start in his place.
Evans was signed by the Alouettes in free agency this offseason after spending the past two seasons in Ottawa, seeing time as the starter in each of his first two years in the CFL. He played 26 games for the Redblacks, completing 222-of-367 passes for 2,580 yards, nine touchdowns, and 16 interceptions while adding 130 carries for 699 yards and 19 scores.
The Alouettes were five-point favourites prior to the quarterback change.
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