The Canadian Football League has not yet reached a verdict on the status of Toronto Argonauts’ quarterback Chad Kelly following the completion of an independent psychological assessment.
On Saturday, the CFL released a statement saying that they were undergoing a full review of documents regarding Kelly’s counselling and assessment before making a determination on reinstatement for the reigning Most Outstanding Player. No timeline was given for an official resolution.
“Further to the terms and conditions of the May 7 suspension letter, the Canadian Football League (CFL) has received the final assessment relating to Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly.
The CFL has now begun a thorough review process with the help of subject matter experts, which will need to be completed before it makes a determination on possible reinstatement.
On May 7, the CFL levied a suspension for a minimum of nine games against Mr. Kelly, based on the findings of a thorough third-party investigation into allegations made against him. Over the course of his suspension, Mr. Kelly was required to attend mandatory counselling sessions conducted by an independent expert in the field of gender-based violence, before undergoing a confidential psychological assessment.
There will be no further comment on the matter until a decision on next steps has been reached.”
Kelly was suspended for a minimum of nine games by the CFL after a third-party investigator found he “unequivocally violated” the league’s gender-based violence policy. The Argonauts played their ninth game of the season on Friday night, securing a 39-25 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
To have a chance at being reinstated by the three-down league, the six-foot-two, 216-pound passer must have fully complied with the terms of his mandatory counselling and gotten a positive evaluation from a gender-based violence expert. If he didn’t complete the sessions and assessments to the CFL’s satisfaction, discipline against him could be modified.
In February, a former team employee filed a lawsuit with the Ontario Superior Court, alleging Kelly “repeatedly sought to initiate romantic connections” with her throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons. She claimed Kelly escalated his harassment last November when he publicly accused her of being romantically involved with another player, which sparked a verbal altercation, an incident she alleges led to the team not renewing her contract.
Kelly filed his defence in the lawsuit and denied making “any romantic or sexual overtures” towards the plaintiff, including workplace sexual harassment. He called the claims “spurious” and accused the plaintiff of filing the lawsuit merely to draw media attention to what was “otherwise a very routine termination situation.”
In the team’s defence filing, the Argonauts claimed “no knowledge” of any behaviour by Kelly that violated the league’s gender-based violence policy or breached the Ontario Human Rights Code. The team claimed its conduct with the plaintiff was “all times fair, reasonable, lawful and undertaken in good faith.”
The lawsuit was settled in June to the satisfaction of all parties and none of the allegations against Kelly or the Argonauts were ever tested in court. However, an 87-page report commissioned by the CFL from Saskatchewan-based firm Buckingham Security Services Ltd. corroborated three of six claims made against the quarterback, including “sexual harassment as defined by the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.”
Kelly joined the Argos for the 2022 season and came off the bench to lead the team to victory in the 109th Grey Cup. He took over the starting job last year and posted a 15-1 win-loss record, throwing for 4,123 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while carrying the ball 41 times for 248 yards and eight touchdowns en route to being named the league’s Most Outstanding Player.
The 30-year-old last saw the field on November 11, 2023 — the same week several key allegations we said to have taken place. Kelly threw four interceptions and fumbled once in a stunning upset loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final, later claiming he suffered a concussion during the game.
The Ole Miss product has been away from the team since his attendance at rookie camp in May drew criticism from multiple female employees in the CFL. He elected not to appeal his suspension after withdrawing himself from training camp and has not yet returned to practice, despite being legally allowed to under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
Backups Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle have shared quarterback duties through the first half of the season, helping to guide the Argos to a 5-4 record. The team is on bye next week before returning to the field on Thursday, August 22 when they host the Saskatchewan Roughriders — the earliest possible date that Kelly can be cleared for game action.
