The Edmonton Elks are hoping to cleanse the stink from another poor start with a quarterback change, but don’t expect them to throw the dual-threat pivot out with the bathwater.
On Thursday, the Elks announced that veteran backup Cody Fajardo will make his debut start for the organization in Week 8, sending incumbent Tre Ford to the bench after a rocky beginning to his tenure as face of the franchise. However, head coach Mark Kilam insisted that the dynamic Canadian remains a part of the team’s plans.
“We still like Tre Ford, too, let’s be really clear with that. This is not the end of Tre Ford. He’s one play away from playing again,” Kilam told the media after arriving in Regina. “We are going to continue to develop Tre Ford. Tre has things that he needs to work on that he knows, that we’ve communicated, and we’re going to commit to developing those things.”
Ford was signed to a three-year contract extension this offseason for starter money, seemingly committing the franchise to him after years of being jerked around by the team’s previous administration. However, he has had difficulty adapting to offensive coordinator Jordan Maksymic’s system, contributing to a 1-4 start by the Elks.
The 27-year-old appeared to be turning the corner with consecutive strong outings, capped by a perfect passer rating in Edmonton’s lone win over Ottawa. Unfortunately, he followed that up with the worst passing performance of his career, going four-of-12 for 34 yards and an interception before being pulled in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to B.C. in Week 6.
That led to Kilam re-evaluating his quarterback situation over the course of the ensuing bye week, ultimately leading to a change.
“Simple answer, our football team’s looking for a spark. That’s why we made the quarterback change,” he said of his decision.
“First and foremost, Tre wasn’t the sole reason why our football team is where it is, and I want that to be clear. There’s 11 other guys on the field with him, we expect them all to execute and perform. But Cody, he’s a veteran presence. He’s seen all the looks there are to see. He brings a little bit of a different energy, and the offence looks a little bit different when he’s running it.”
Kilam brought both players into his office before the first day of practice and informed them that the quarterback job would be an open competition. Ford and Fajardo split first-team reps throughout the week, before the veteran ultimately seized the job.
The first-year head coach dismissed criticism that the strategy undermined both passers, decreasing Ford’s opportunities for development while sending Fajardo into his first start with less time to get comfortable in the offence.
“Cody would take 400 reps if he could. I like that the player wants to be selfish in his development that way,” Kilam joked. “Those guys were complete professionals with the way that we set the week up, and they deserve all the props for handling it the way they did. They were supportive of each other. Obviously, each one would want to have more reps, but that’s the way it shook out.”
Ford has completed 82-of-121 pass attempts (67.7 percent) for 984 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions this season, rushing 16 times for 152 yards and another major.
In four seasons since being selected in the first round of the 2022 CFL Draft, the former Hec Crighton Trophy winner has thrown for 4,651 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions, while rushing 124 times for 1,129 yards and four scores. He has appeared in 47 games and started 23, amassing a 10-13 career record, but has struggled to stay on the field due to a combination of injury and inconsistent play.
This week represents another setback for the youngster — though that label is rapidly becoming inaccurate. Kilam hasn’t given up on the elite athlete yet, and insists he has been clear with his expectations for Ford’s improvement throughout the season.
“I’m honest and transparent with the players, 24/7. I want to look them in the eyes with everything that we do, and it wasn’t just happening this week,” he said. “Over the course of the weeks, we were (saying), ‘Hey, let’s work on this.’ ‘We need to get better at these things.’ And that’s always ongoing.”
The switch under centre marks the first truly controversial call of Kilam’s tenure as head coach, and he’ll be judged on how his team responds. He didn’t take the decision lightly, indicating that there was full organizational alignment but that the final call was ultimately his.
“Making a decision with the magnitude of this, it’s the decision that had to be made, and it’s part of my job,” Kilam said. “I’m comfortable with the decision, just as far as our process was going into it.”
The Edmonton Elks (1-4) will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-1) at Mosaic Stadium on Friday, July 25, with kickoff slated for 9:00 p.m. EDT.
