Edmonton Elks head coach Mark Killam appears to have given a straight answer when asked if Canadian quarterback Tre Ford has a future with the Green and Gold.
“He definitely has a future in the CFL.” Kilam said. “When we made the changes, we said this isn't the end for him. Issues like that, we're not focusing on those right now. We're focusing on winning a football game against a really good opponent in British Columbia.”
27 year old Ford remained on the bench after the loss to the Lions in the sixth week. He completed 4 of 12 passes for 34 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while rushing four times for 47 yards in a 32-14 loss at Commonwealth Stadium. National teammate Nathan Rourke led BC to the win, completing 26 of 30 passes for 345 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
The loss dropped Edmonton to 1–4 and led to Cody Fajardo being named the starting quarterback after the team's bye week seven. The 2023 Gray Cup MVP led the Elks to a 6-5 record with four losses by four points or less. The 33-year-old completed a CFL-best 75 percent of his passes for 2,906 yards with 12 touchdowns against three interceptions. He rushed 49 times for 257 yards and scored six times.
“It's hard to say just one thing. We needed a spark back then. Like everyone else on this football team, he has things he needs to work on. That's what it was at the time,” Kilam said of his decision to move Ford away from the starting QB role in Fajardo's place.
Fajardo agreed to restructure his contract with Edmonton for the 2025 season after Ford has signed an agreement to extend the 2027 season by three years. become a franchise starter. The six-foot-one, 195-pound dual-threat quarterback started 23 games in the CFL beginning his rookie year and posted a 10-13 win-loss record, but was constantly at the center of quarterback controversy.
In 58 CFL games, Ford completed 359 of 534 passes (67.2 percent) for 4,651 yards, 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, while also rushing 124 times for 1,129 yards and four kickoffs. He was originally selected eighth in the first round of the 2022 CFL Draft after winning the Hec Crighton Trophy as Canada's top collegiate football player in his final year at Waterloo.
The Elks (7-9) will face the BC Lions (9-7) at 10:30 pm ET on Friday, Oct. 17 in a game that could end their playoff hopes. They will conclude the regular season on Friday, October 24th against the Calgary Stampeders.
