In a season full of surprises, possibly the biggest one yet for the Saskatchewan Roughriders occurred with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
After creating some suspicion at Tuesday practice with Mason Fine taking the first string reps at quarterback, the curiosity was only increased on Wednesday once again when Fine was behind centre with the Riders offence once again at practice.
Following the workout, head coach Craig Dickenson confirmed that will be making a change at quarterback with Fine assuming the starting duties and Fajardo demoted to the second on the depth chart.
The Riders head coach said the decision was made during the team’s bye week to go ahead with the change.
“We had a plan, but we weren’t a 100% sure, but we did talk to the quarterbacks, told them, what we’re planning to do, and they we were going with Mas (Fine), but to give us day one to confirm, and they’re both good with it.” He also noted before naming Fine as the starter against Calgary, the coaching staff wanted Fine to take the first string snaps with the offence on Tuesday.
The change comes with the Riders set to meet the Stampeders in a home and home set to close the season. Heading into this week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hold the tiebreaker over the Roughriders for the final playoff spot. If the Tiger-Cats lose one game and the Roughriders win both of their remaining games, then the Riders would grab the final spot in the playoff race.
When Dickenson broke the news to Fajardo that a change was coming, he said that the quarterback took the news, the best way possible.
“He’s a warrior, he wants to play but he understands, and he said if you need to me to be the best backup, I’ll be the best backup I can possibly be.”
Fajardo said while the news was a tough pill to swallow, but he says that he will continue to help the team.
“Difficult for me, but I’m here to support the team, two weeks left, trying to do everything to win football games.” He added that even though he has been relegated to backup status, Fajardo will continue to prepare as a starter this week in case he finds himself on the field once again.
He also said that it’s hard finishing off the season on the sidelines as the backup.
“When you’re a captain of a ship that’s going down, you want go down with it.”
Dickenson believes that the offence required a spark.
“We just need to be better on offence, we’re not scoring enough points, we need to score more, that involves all of us, maybe with a different quarterback, we can give teams a different look and hopefully score a few more points.”
He added that the 2-9 record for the Riders over their last eleven games as a piece of evidence that some kind of change was required for Saskatchewan.
With the Riders losing control of their destiny, Fajardo believes a change at quarterback is the quickest way to provide a spark.
“Tough being a starting quarterback of a team that didn’t live up to expectations, I feel like you kind of take that negativity and if you want to make a splash or a big change to get a spark, you bench the quarterback, I’m a casualty of it.”
Receiver Shaq Evans said the team found out about the change on Tuesday.
“It’s the coaches decision, I guess he felt like we needed a spark.” Evans added that the move caught the team by surprise.
According to Fajardo, the quarterback is the center of a drastic change in football.
“I feel like this spark term is only used for quarterbacks, and you can’t change out a defensive back or linebacker or lineman or running back, that doesn’t create anything, you change the quarterback, that what creates a spark.” While he disagrees with Dickenson’s decision, the 30 year old quarterback pledges to help out with his team, even if it’s just a supporting role.
Following the season, the status for Fajardo is very much up in the air as he eligible to become a free agent in February. He sounded resolved to the fact that he will be changing addresses in 2023.
“I hope that there is somebody that might want me, I don’t think it’s the end of the Cody Fajardo book, I think it just might be the end of a chapter, it’s tough to say, you never know, it’s difficult to go out like this in your last home game and start you have no idea what’s going to happen in the offseason.”
He added a possible change is bittersweet since the Riders were the first professional organization that gave him an opportunity as a starter.
“I think it would be most difficult during the game, coming out of the tunnel, and not taking the field, knowing that you’re healthy and and you can play, I haven’t been in this situation since 2018.”
The Roughriders will play their final game at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday, 620 CKRM will have coverage beginning with Countdown to Kickoff at 2:00, the opening kickoff at 5:00.
