The CFL has reinstated Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly on a last chance agreement provided he continues to meet unspecified ongoing conditions.
Commissioner Randy Ambrosie suspended Kelly on Tuesday, May 7 for a minimum nine games based on findings from a thorough third-party investigation into allegations made against him. During his suspension, he was required to attend psychological assessments and mandatory counselling sessions conducted by an independent expert in the gender-based violence field.
“I am sorry for my actions and the impact it has had on many people personally, the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL,” Kelly said in a statement.
“I recognize this is just one step in the process of bettering myself, but it is an important one, and I am committed to doing what is needed to be a better teammate, colleague and person. With that commitment in mind, I have accepted the league’s conditions of reinstatement, including its last chance agreement.”
Kelly served the ninth game of his suspension on Friday, August 9. The league office received his final assessment on Saturday, August 10 and immediately completed a thorough review process. The CFL sought guidance from an expert who specializes in gender-based violence, met with the psychologist and counsellor who worked with Kelly. He then took part in an in-person discussion with Ambrosie.
“The Argos and MLSE take this issue extremely seriously, in keeping with our unwavering commitment to maintaining a work environment where individuals are treated with respect and dignity and that is free from discrimination and harassment,” MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement.
“The organization will implement a comprehensive education program, focused on this issue, to ensure all team members and staff are properly equipped with the awareness and skills to protect against this issue occurring in the future.”
According to the league, ongoing mandatory conditions surrounding Kelly’s reinstatement reflect the need for him to demonstrate a continued commitment to upholding league standards. Those conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed by the CFL.
“This is an important step for Chad who has taken full accountability for his actions and represents just the beginning of his ongoing commitment to bettering himself and learning from this experience,” general manager Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons said in a statement. “There continues to be much work to do to strengthen our team culture and we are all committed with Chad’s return, to work on this together, as a team.”
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 alleged 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 file, 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 signed with 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 while throwing for 4,123 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions plus 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 played on November 11, 2023 — the same week several key allegations were claimed to have taken place. Kelly threw four interceptions and fumbled once in a stunning upset loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final and later claimed he suffered a concussion during the game.
The University of Mississippi product has been away from the team since his attendance at rookie camp in May drew criticism from multiple female employees in the CFL. Kelly elected not to appeal his suspension after withdrawing himself from training camp.
Backups Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle shared QB duties through the first half of the season, helping guide the Argos to a 5-4 record. Kelly rejoined the team for practice on Sunday, August 18. The Argonauts return to game action on Thursday, August 22 when Toronto hosts the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
