Pssst. Hey, buddy.
The Edmonton Elks are 113th Grey Cup contenders.
At 4-1, and tied atop the West Division standings, the previously playoff-challenged team, missers of post-season play for the past five campaigns, are looking very good.
RELATED
» Play CFL Pick ‘Em presented by Old Dutch now!
» 4 storylines to watch in Week 7
» Prediction Time: CFL.ca writers’ Week 7 picks
» AMSOIL Power Rankings: Bombers ascending and stability at the top
» Buy tickets for the 2026 CFL season
» Subscribe to the CFL’s newsletter for exclusive offers and league updates
You might say: “Pull back on the reins, there, fella. This is too soon. We’ll be able to tell if that’s true after back-to-backers against Saskatchewan in Weeks 8 and 9.”
That’s fine and dandy and perfectly reasonable if you’re in the wait-and-see category.
I am not, though, and am here to say that I believe the Edmonton Elks will be measured quite favourably in those upcoming games against the defending champions.
Two wins?
Nah, I wouldn’t say that. But I wouldn’t shy away from predicting a split because I’m here to tell you: The Edmonton Elks are Grey Cup contenders.
Here are my reasons.
THAT DEFENCE OF THEIRS
JOEL DUBLANKO SAID “I’LL TAKE THAT” 🫨
Off the bobble and 2024 first overall pick Joel Dublanko is there for the grab 👐
🗓️: Touchdown Kelowna: Elks vs. Lions LIVE NOW
📺: TSN and CFL+@fanduelcanada Canada Day Weekend | #CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/pRsLOLRJK0— CFL (@CFL) July 5, 2026
Year two of coordinator J.C. Sherritt’s defensive scheming is really starting to provide results in Edmonton.
After starting to gel towards the end of the 2025 season, the Elks defence looks formidable, indeed, ranking as the league’s number two crew through six weeks.
It’s a group that leads the CFL in four big categories, including offensive points allowed (an average of 24.0 per game).
The pass defence is ball hawking, tops in the league with six interceptions, while standing second in opponents’ completion percentage (67.9) and knockdowns (20).
Impressively, Edmonton’s opposing quarterbacks have been forced to a league-low of just 88.3 in the efficiency rating stats.
As well, the defence has forced a league-high seven fumbles and 16 total turnovers, helping the Elks to the number one perch with a plus-seven in the giveaways-takeaways column.
Linebacker Joel Dublanko is flourishing in his third year, tied for sixth in total defensive plays (33) and defensive back Kordell Jackson is everywhere, with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions to his credit.
In short, it’s all clicking for the Edmonton defence, save for one thing. They are seventh in run defence, allowing 103.6 yards per game. If (I’d bet it’s more a matter of when) they get that sorted, look out.
THAT QUARTERBACK OF THEIRS
Cody Fajardo might be down the list a tad when it comes to the splashy numbers that pivots have been putting up in the early going of this season.
But he ain’t that far back.
He’s fourth in passing yards (1,499) and, yeah he’d be fifth if Bo Levi Mitchell hadn’t been injured.
Okay, a few more passing TDs (eight, he has) might be nice but the Elks have scored 16 offensive touchdowns (fourth in the CFL) and at the end of the drive does it really matter how you got to the end zone so long as you got there?
With an efficiency rating of 101.8 — 154.9 versus Ottawa in Week 6 — Fajardo is playing just fine, thanks. Last year’s efficiency leader? Nathan Rourke at 112.2, so don’t expect the bloated numbers we’re seeing thus far in 2026 to remain up there above the ozone layer.
At 34 years old, and less than three years removed from the signature highlight of his career — a Grey Cup winning drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to seal the victory — Cody Fajardo still looks the part.
This season, Fajardo was instrumental in bringing the Elks back in a win over the Montreal Alouettes in Week 3, and even scored the winning touchdown himself in overtime.
A week later, in Winnipeg, with the Elks trailing, Fajardo led a late-game drive, firing the winning touchdown pass to receiver TJ Luther with 53 seconds remaining. Fajardo went 6/7 passing on that drive and ran twice for first downs.
The thing about Fajardo is he is a damn good quarterback and an even better leader. You can’t say he takes a backseat to anyone at the position when it comes to leadership, in my opinion.
The Elks have a past Grey Cup MVP at quarterback and he is showing that he’s still got what’s necessary — including the always important intangibles — to get the job done again.
THAT RUNNING BACK OF THEIRS
Bear in mind that Cody Fajardo doesn’t have to push the ball downfield. He’d be crazy to. And that’s because of this next reason that makes the Elks Grey Cup contenders.
You’re fully aware, I’m sure, about what a monstrous season running back Justin Rankin is on target for, so I won’t get too into the weeds on those numbers.
But with the fast and powerful running back topping the league in rushing (513) and yards after catch (287), Fajardo and the Edmonton offence have the luxury of knowing that they have a game-breaking play just a touch away, whether that touch is a hand off or a short pass.
Rankin leads the league in big plays (you don’t say) with eight of them (six rushes of 20-plus yards, two catches for 30-plus). All in all, he has 20 rushes for at least 10 yards to his credit. That’s almost a third of his carries.
Oh, Justin’s been working too hard and needs to go to the sideline for a break? Goodie for you. Here comes Javon Leake and his 6.2 yards-per-carry average. Yikes.
THAT FORTRESS OF THEIRS
Last season, Fajardo was sacked 40 times in 13 starts.
In five starts this season, he’s been brought down just six times on 188 dropbacks, giving the Elks the second-lowest sack rate in the CFL at 3.2 per cent.
Edmonton brought in a trio of free agent linemen this past off-season; Jordan Murray, Brendan Bordner and Coulter Woodmansey joined incumbents Carter O’Donnell and David Beard as starters in Week 1. When Woodmansey suffered a knee injury in the first game of the season, another lineman new to the Elks in 2026, Cameron Carter, jumped in at right guard and the unit has been pretty leakproof.
They’ve got a great quarterback, a game-busting running back (and not a half-bad receiving corps, I think we can all agree) AND a dominating offensive line?
That’s a championship check-a-roonie.
