Former team wishes Collaros all the best — except on Sunday
It’s ironic that veteran quarterback Zach Collaros is now playing second fiddle to his former understudy.
As the Saskatchewan Roughriders prepare for Sunday’s West Division final against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers, most of the talk in Regina is about Cody Fajardo and his intention to play despite an injured oblique muscle.
The ongoing Fajardo watch has overshadowed the fact that Saskatchewan’s previous starting QB is expected to be under centre for Winnipeg on Sunday, adding another layer of drama to an already intriguing matchup.
“It’s incredible just to see what (Collaros) has gone through this entire season,” Fajardo said Wednesday.
“Only in the CFL can you get traded twice and end up starting a playoff game. It’s pretty remarkable what he has been able to do over there.
“I’m excited to go against him. I remember seeing him in Toronto and I was just hoping he’d get on the field (again). Now facing off in the Western final, I couldn’t have dreamed of something like this.”
It has been quite a journey for both quarterbacks.
The Riders signed Fajardo in the off-season to serve as a backup behind the oft-concussed Collaros, who ended up being hurt again just three offensive plays into the regular season.
Fajardo took the reins and didn’t look back, helping guide Saskatchewan to first place in the West (135) and a bye into the division final.
It has been a much more circuitous route for Collaros, who was set to come off the injured list when Saskatchewan traded him to the Toronto Argonauts on July 31. Toronto flipped him to Winnipeg just prior to the CFL trade deadline on Oct. 9, setting the stage for Sunday’s reunion at Mosaic Stadium.
“I played with him in Hamilton when he was a league leader in passing and he got hurt,” noted Riders defensive back Ed Gainey.
“When he came here and guys were saying he’s injury prone and all that good stuff, I was behind him 100 per cent. He has always been my guy.
“It kinda sucked to see him leave but Cody stepped up and did what he was supposed to do. I’m happy and thankful that we’ve got Cody as our starting quarterback but it’s going to be kind of different to see Zach over there given that he was with us at the beginning of the season.”
Like most of the Riders’ defenders, Gainey has inside knowledge that could benefit him when facing Collaros.
That said, it goes both ways. “I’ve got a good sense of how he plays and I’m pretty sure he has a good sense of how everybody on the back end plays over here,” Gainey said.
“It’s going to be a challenge. It’s going to be a little cat-and-mouse game. We’ll see how it all ends up.”
Although the Collaros storyline has been lost in the shuffle this week, it’s not flying under the Riders’ radar.
In fact, they fully expect Collaros to have an extra chip on his shoulder.
“I would assume so,” said linebacker Solomon Elimimian. “That’s to be anticipated but at the end of the day we’re motivated (to win), just like he’s motivated. Whether he’s trying to show us that we made a mistake, at the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to win the Grey Cup. That supersedes anything, just like it does for us.”
As for the irony of Collaros’ return, Elimimian echoed Fajardo’s sentiments: “That’s the CFL for you. Things have a way of coming full circle.”
When Collaros was initially hurt in Saskatchewan’s first game of the season, there was concern that another concussion could spell the end of his career.
Regardless of how he may feel about the subsequent trade, the Riders have made it clear that they wished Collaros well after leaving Regina. That hasn’t changed leading up to this weekend’s clash.
“I’m really happy for Zach,” said head coach Craig Dickenson. “What a great opportunity for him. It couldn’t happen to a better guy. I wish him all the best. I just hope we play a little bit better than he does on game-day.”
Only in the CFL can you get traded twice and end up starting a playoff game.