SI.com's CFL Quarterback Rankings After Week 11

SI.com takes a look at the top five quarterbacks in the CFL through 11 weeks of the regular season.
Jul 1, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the fourth quarter at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 1, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the fourth quarter at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Week 11 of the CFL season was chaos at the quarterback position with multiple CFL teams bringing out more than one quarterback on the field.

The anticipated return of Nathan Rourke died out quickly after only eight completions in the BC Lions’ loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Young stars like Montreal’s Davis Alexander continued to shine. Saskatchewan’s signal caller Trevor Harris returned quietly with a nice performance despite losing to the Alouettes.

Here’s a look at the new quarterback rankings in the CFL.

SI.com'sd Top Five CFL Quarterbacks

1. Vernon Adams Jr., BC Lions

Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 15, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; BC Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr (3) throws the ball during the second half against the Calgary Stampeders throws the ball at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-USA TODAY Sports / Simon Fearn-USA TODAY Sports

The injury Vernon Adams Jr. suffered a few weeks ago is preventing him from losing his top spot. Even with Rourke’s return, it did not change the look of the Lions’ offense as it appears that Adams still gives BC the best shot to win unless Rourke can get into a groove next week. Adams is still third in the CFL in passing yards (2,469) despite missing two games. Things will get interesting once Adams is fully healthy for the Lions as they decide what to do at quarterback between him and Rourke.

2. Cody Fajardo, Montreal Alouettes

Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2023; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the second quarter of the 110th Grey Cup game at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Fajardo almost found himself on the field last week when Alexander went down with an injury before returning on the next offensive drive. Alexander is making it easy for the Alouettes to sit Fajardo until he is 100% healthy to step on the field. A return to the field will soon come for Fajardo who has completed over 77% of his passes this season.

3. Tre Ford, Edmonton Elks

Heywood Yu/CP
Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford (2) throws against Saskatchewan Roughriders during the first half of CFL football action in Regina, on Friday, September 15, 2023. (Heywood Yu/CP) /

Edmonton picked up a 25-point blowout win against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats without Ford on the field. Even though McLeod Bethel-Thompson had arguably his best performance of the season, the hope is Ford can return to the field soon with his rib injury. Nothing should change as Ford has proven to be one of the most electric quarterbacks in the CFL and his return is necessary for a legitimate playoff push.

4. Davis Alexander, Montreal Alouettes

Photo by Christopher Katsarov /The Canadian Press
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander throws a pass under pressure during second-half CFL action against the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton, Ont., on Friday, August 2, 2024. Photo by Christopher Katsarov /The Canadian Press /

Fans were wanting to see a gritty performance from Alexander before believing he was the real deal. Coming back to beat the Riders on the road against one of the best defensive units in the CFL is a good way to do that. Alexander has thrown for 972 yards and six touchdowns to just one interception this season. He’s athletic, accurate with the football, and most importantly, he doesn’t turn the ball over. The future is bright for the Alouettes.

5. Trevor Harris, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2024; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Saskatchewan Rough Riders quarterback Trevor Harris (7) throws a pass in the first quarter against the Hamilton Tiger Cats at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports / Gerry Angus-USA TODAY Sports

While Shea Patterson was serviceable as the replacement following the injury to Trevor Harris, Rider fans were happy to see Harris back on the field. Harris finished the game last week, completing 79.4% of his 39 attempts for 355 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. Passing stats like those have been what Saskatchewan has been missing, and with the West Division getting tight, the Riders look primed for a division title run with Harris back in the picture.

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