CALGARY — Cody Fajardo has never lacked motivation. Sometimes, he doesn't even have to look for it.
Over his CFL career, plenty of moments have given the Edmonton Elks quarterback something to prove, though Sunday's 113th Grey Cup carries extra weight.
The 34-year-old will lead the Elks against the Montreal Alouettes in Calgary, facing the franchise he helped deliver a championship to in 2023 before being traded a year later.
It is a full-circle moment for a quarterback who once appeared to have found a long-term home in Montreal.
Fajardo joined the Alouettes in 2023, reuniting with head coach Jason Maas, who had previously coached him with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
That relationship proved crucial as Fajardo seized another shot as a starter, winning his first Grey Cup as a starting quarterback. Montreal followed that up with the league's best regular-season record in 2024 before falling in the East Division final.
Following the 2024 season, however, the Alouettes pivoted at quarterback, signing Davis Alexander to a new contract and leaving Fajardo's future in limbo. For someone who had finally felt wanted in Montreal, the move stung.
"If you look at the decision, it's clear they made the right one," Fajardo said at CFL media day Thursday, acknowledging what Alexander has accomplished since taking over the offence.
The 28-year-old Alexander was named the CFL's most outstanding player this season and is making his second consecutive Grey Cup start.
Still, the personal fallout weighed heavily on Fajardo.
"What fires me up the most is that, finally in my career, I felt like I was playing really good football and I still wasn't enough for somebody," Fajardo said. "And at that point you're like, what else can you do?"
With starting jobs at a premium in the CFL, there were no guarantees another opportunity would materialize. When Montreal general manager Danny Maciocia approached him to see if he would rather be traded or released, Fajardo made his preference clear.
"If somebody wants me to be traded, like that means you're wanted in that organization," he said. "If you're a free agent or you get released and you sign somewhere, you sign somewhere because they're interested. But I feel like if a team is willing to make a trade for you, that you're wanted there."
Edmonton GM Ed Hervey made that call, bringing in the veteran to join Tre Ford, who was struggling to help the Elks take the next step. Fajardo arrived knowing the starting job wasn't guaranteed, embraced the competition, and now sits one win away from delivering Edmonton a title.
He hasn't forgotten who backed him. Elks head coach Mark Kilam said Fajardo was a top priority the moment the club began planning for the 2026 season.
"I was super vocal about it in our end-of-the-year meetings last year," Kilam said. "It was the first thing I said. I wanted Cody to be the quarterback of the football team, not only for his leadership, but for the edge that he brings to our football team."
Fajardo sees clear parallels between Kilam and Maas, describing both as emotional leaders who prioritize culture and team identity.
Despite his abrupt exit from Montreal, Fajardo remains grateful for Maas's influence — particularly during the cancelled 2020 CFL season, when Maas travelled to Maryland to spend a week breaking down the offence with Fajardo while he was staying there with his wife.
"I wouldn't be where I'm at today without Coach Maas," Fajardo said.
Having coached both Fajardo and Alexander, Maas knows firsthand how their competitiveness drives a locker room — and how Fajardo manufactures an edge.
"He's motivated. He always looks for motivation," Maas said. "He knows he's a great quarterback. But what makes him great is he always looks for an edge."
That search for bulletin-board material followed Fajardo into Grey Cup week. Several people sent him a recent article quoting Montreal receiver Tyler Snead, who guaranteed a victory for the Alouettes.
Maas waved off the comment as "a small crumb," noting that nobody in Montreal's locker room doubts Fajardo's ability.
"You don't win 14 games in a season and still be doubted," Maas said.
Across the field, Alexander holds nothing but respect for his former teammate. The two pushed each other constantly in the quarterback room — and in heated games of ping pong and pickleball that Fajardo joked felt like battles for the starting job.
"I learned a lot from Cody," Alexander said. "We're still great friends, and I have nothing but respect for that."
Alexander revealed that Fajardo played a massive role in his development, ranking just behind Anthony Calvillo among the people who have had the biggest influence on his career.
"I would say maybe behind AC, Cody had the most effect on me," Alexander said, explaining how Fajardo never grew frustrated with the younger quarterback constantly being around and learning from him. Alexander even sent Fajardo a random text earlier this year to thank him for everything.
Alexander went a step further, calling Fajardo an "organization changer" whose character is defined by how he responds to adversity.
"I'm just so proud of him," Alexander said. "He's a great dude. Love him to death."
Fajardo isn't the only former Alouette looking to settle unfinished business. Receiver Austin Mack will also line up against his old club after Montreal released him just one year into a four-year deal.
Fajardo called Mack daily during free agency to convince him Edmonton was the right fit.
"To play it against the team that cast you away a year prior, it's even just more invigorating," Mack said.
For Fajardo, though, the stakes feel different than they did in 2023. Having already cemented his legacy as a championship starter, his focus now is on the teammates beside him.
"I can call myself a champion for the rest of my life," Fajardo said. "I want those guys to do the same thing."
Traded, doubted and repeatedly forced to start over, Fajardo needs no extra fuel heading into the Grey Cup.
