Alouettes GM Selects Alexander as Starting QB Over Fajardo

Summary: 

• GM Danny Maciocia chose Davis Alexander as the Alouettes’ starting quarterback.
• Alexander secured a three-year deal worth $1 million.
• Cody Fajardo’s future with the team remains uncertain, though Maciocia expressed gratitude and a commitment to supporting him.

In professional sports, it’s often said that head coaches focus on immediate victories, while general managers plan with an eye on the future. 

By selecting Davis Alexander as the Montreal Alouettes’ starting quarterback over Cody Fajardo, GM Danny Maciocia is sending a clear message: he wants to mix short-term goals with long-term aspirations in the CFL.

“I Have to Take Care of the Present But Also the Future” 

“I have to take care of the present but also the future” Maciocia said at a press conference at Olympic Stadium. 

I don’t miss a single practice … I watch every player, but I paid close attention to the quarterbacks because I knew I had a quarterback with one year left on his contract and a young quarterback we had trained and developed whose contract was expiring.

While confident in the decision, Maciocia admitted it wasn’t easy. 

“I also knew it would be difficult to keep both”, he reflected. Months of deliberation culminated in the move. 

With all the information we’ve gathered, based on (Alexander’s) ability to perform and his future potential, it wasn’t an easy decision to make, but it was the right one for the organization.

“Davis Is the Present and the Future of the Alouettes”

Maciocia, with his background as a coach, remains optimistic about the transition. 

As a former coach, I know how coaches want to win today. If I were coaching this team and Davis Alexander was the starting quarterback, I’m confident that we could win right away

The quarterback dilemma had been a sensitive issue, with both Maciocia and head coach Jason Maas treading carefully during the team’s end-of-season press conference. 

Behind the scenes, however, negotiations proceeded quickly. 

Alexander reportedly secured a three-year deal worth approximately $1 million, which Maciocia described as a “bridge deal” tied to performance bonuses.

We agreed that the time had come to give him the opportunity to be a starter for the coming years. I’m convinced that Davis is the present and the future of the Alouettes. To finally identify someone, convince him to come to Montreal, and sign him for three years — especially given what he showed in his four starts last year — I’m more than confident we can build something exciting around him.

When Alexander’s agent called him at his home in British Columbia, to confirm the Alouettes’ offer, he immediately shared the news with his loved ones. 

However, one important figure was missing: his father, who had passed away from cancer earlier this fall.

Meanwhile, Fajardo’s future remains uncertain, despite being signed through next season.

Maciocia expressed gratitude for his contributions, stating,

I will always be grateful to him, and that’s why I want to do everything I can to help him — even if it’s not in the best interest of the Alouettes.

The GM added that, provided “an opportunity doesn’t present itself” they would carry on a new conversation.