Cody Fajardo likens B.C. Lions to 2023 Montreal Alouettes, calls them ‘Grey Cup-winning team’

It looks like Cody Fajardo has made an official prediction on who will win the Gray Cup next month: the BC Lions.

“BC is warming up now and reminds me a lot of our 2023 team when I was with Montreal – we just got hot at the right time. We went into their lair and they shellaced us, it was hard.” Fajardo spoke to media in Edmonton..

“They flew around us after the bye week, showed us some things defensively that they haven't shown all year. This is a Gray Cup-winning football team in my opinion. It's going to be a very, very tough team to face.”

The Edmonton Elks needed to beat BC last week to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, but they were unable to do so, losing 37-24 in Vancouver. Fajardo threw for 230 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, while the Elks managed just 303 yards, 203 fewer than the Lions. led by SS favorite Nathan Rourke.

BC started the season 5–7, but have since reeled off five straight wins and needed just one to move into second place in the West Division. If the Leos manage to finish second, they will host the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Semi-Finals on Saturday, November 1st.

Fajardo knows what it's like when a team finishes strong, as he was the starting guard for the Montreal Alouettes in 2023. The Alouettes started the season 6–7 that year and then went on an eight-game winning streak, including the playoffs, to win the 110th Gray Cup in Hamilton over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Elks won two straight games en route to Vancouver, but hit a black-and-orange brick wall. Fajardo believes the game was a learning experience for the young team, which appears to be heading in the right direction heading into 2026.

“Our young guys, I think they've realized how much you have to give up every week. You can't afford these past wins – you can show confidence in the next game – but you have to show up every week or the game gets out of hand pretty damn quickly,” Fajardo said.

“There are a lot of talented players in this league, a lot of talented coaches and a lot of guys who want to win Gray Cups in this league, so you have to show up every week.”

Winning the Gray Cup requires talent, preparation, desire and belief – something Fajardo clearly believes the Lions have heading into the final week of the regular season.

The Edmonton Elks (7-10) will host the Calgary Stampeders (10-7) at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday, October 24, with kickoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET. The Stampeders earned a convincing win over the Toronto Argonauts.Bye The Moose were eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the BC Lions..

The Edmonton weather forecast calls for temperatures of up to 14 degrees with sunny and cloudy skies. The game will be broadcast on TSN in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune into channel 770 CHQR in Calgary and 880 CHED in Edmonton.