Cody Fajardo wasted no time establishing a connection with big fish free-agent acquisition Mack Austin Mack for the first touchdown of the season in a 29-21 season-opening win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
Make that re-establishing the connection.
The quarterback and receiver are no strangers to each other, having won a Grey Cup together with the Montreal Alouettes in 2023 — Mack’s rookie season in the Canadian Football League, which ended with Fajardo earning Grey Cup MVP honours.
And it will be a blast from the past for the pair when the Elks hold their home-opener Saturday against the Als (2 p.m., TSN, 880 CHED), where the Elks will look to start out a season 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
Mack’s rookie season saw him haul in 78 passes for 1,154 yards to finish top five in the league in both categories, to go with four touchdowns on his way to being named a CFL all-star, and adding 13 catches for 185 more yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs.
“That was the Grey Cup, dude. That was one of the best experiences ever,” Mack recalled. “But it wasn’t always perfect, you know?”
It led, as those kinds of numbers often do, to the young receiver earning a shot down south with the Atlanta Falcons after having gone undrafted in the NFL in 2020. And as they also often do, Mack returned to the three-down circuit the following season to help the Als once again reach the Grey Cup final, falling this time to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
This time, he’s wearing a different jersey, but has reunited with his old quarterback. And don’t think for a second Fajardo didn’t factor into Mack’s decision in free agency.
“A hundred per cent. That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to sign here. To be with a guy like that,” said Mack, a 6-foot-1, 208-pound product of Ohio State. “He’s a great, hell of a player and he’s just somebody that’s gritty.”
You’d have to be, after going from reigning Grey Cup MVP to begin the 2024 season, down to a backup role to start out 2025.
Fortunately, Fajardo’s ego didn’t get in the way of him humbly working his way back onto the first team midway through last year, following yet another slow start for the double-E.
And this year, he and Mack are looking to help get things going for the Elks right out of the gates.
“We’re going to be in some great times, we might be in some bad times, but he’s still going to throw his nose out there and give it his best,” Mack said. “I’m excited to be with him and, man, we’re going to make a lot of plays.”
Their first one of note came on a 10-yard connection into the end zone to take a 10-0 lead over the Redblacks in the second quarter of their Week 1 win, coming one snap after a 39-yard catch by another new member in the Elks receiving stable, T.J. Luther.
The Edmonton Elks appear to be right on target when it comes to their revamped receiving corps. The reunion of Fajardo and Mack, combined with new additions like Luther, gives the Elks a potent aerial attack. As they prepare to face their former team, the Alouettes, the chemistry between quarterback and receiver could be the deciding factor in extending their winning streak.
