With Zach Collaros out for the next six games, backup quarterbacks Cody Fajardo and Isaac Harker will both be considered for the staring position.
“I'm not going to tell you who’s going to start because I don't honestly know right now,” Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson said. “We know both will play in this game, so we'll leave it at that.”
Fajardo and Harker are facing off at practice this week, and have shown intense support for each other.
“"A lot of times after a play, I'll ask, why he went here, I would have thrown over here,” Harker said of Fajardo. “He says ‘free safety does this and that and the other’ and I never really thought of it that way. I'm gaining so much information and knowledge on a play to play basis,”
Dickenson said Fajardo and Harker clearly care about each other, and have each other’s success in mind.
Harker has played just over 15 minutes of CFL football. Fajardo has played in 34 games over three CFL seasons, but hasn't started since his Nevada Wolfpack days in 2014.
“This time has been coming for me,” Fajardo said. “Being a backup is a little bit harder because game plan wise it's more tailored towards the starter, and now being the starter, the game plan can be tailored towards my strengths.”
Fajardo got the most repetitions with the starting line up at practice on Sunday.
“Ultimately near the end of the game you go with the hot hand,” Dickenson said. Whoever’s playing best, but early in the game were going to go ahead and give both some reps,”
The Riders have one more practice in Regina before heading east to face the Ottawa Redblacks on Thursday.
Based on a report by CTV Regina’s Claire Hanna.
