Chad Kelly’s replacement feels the Toronto Argonauts’ star didn’t get the compassion he deserved from opposing fans in Montreal after suffering a devastating injury in Saturday’s East Final.
“The whole crowd was chanting that he’s down on the ground and they’re bringing a stretcher out on the field,” backup quarterback Nick Arbuckle said in disgust after the game.
“Most fans around the league when somebody goes down and it’s serious, whether it’s your player or not, you cheer for them as they get off the field — they’re still breathing and still doing it. Obviously, it wasn’t like that.”
Kelly went down after a nine-yard scramble late in the third quarter and had his lower right leg landed on by Alouettes’ defensive end Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund. The 30-year-old pivot had to be carted off the field with a broken tibia and was taken to Montreal General Hospital, where he underwent surgery on the limb later that night.
Toronto was leading at the time of the injury, with Kelly going 11-of-22 passing for 182 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions prior to his exit. However, the animosity of fans towards the CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Player long preceded kickoff and extended far beyond Montreal.
Kelly was suspended for the first nine games of the 2024 season for violating the league’s gender-based violence policy after a lawsuit filed by a former Argos’ strength and conditioning coach alleged he sexually harassed her. Those allegations were never proven in court and the lawsuit was settled to the satisfaction of both parties, though an independent investigation commissioned by the CFL found corroborating evidence for three of its core claims.
Since his return, fans in stadiums across the country have expressed their negative sentiments towards Kelly with signs and jeers. On Saturday, it may have crossed a line and helped to spur Toronto to a 30-28 victory.
“It’s hard for a moment, for sure, but it’s inspiring,” Arbuckle said. “To feel the crowd laughing and chanting when he’s down there on the ground getting an air cast put on because they think that this man that’s given so much to our team and to us somehow deserves what happened to him, it just fueled us even more. We couldn’t wait to get out there and be able to shut everybody up.”
The Argonauts cleared the benches in the aftermath of Kelly’s injury, with nearly every member of the game-day roster crowding around him as he lay on the ground. TSN microphones captured head coach Ryan Dinwiddie sharing an emotional word with his star player as he was attended to by medical staff. After the game, he said he was equally touched by his player’s reactions.
“[It means] a lot. It showed what our locker room’s about,” Dinwiddie said. “I feel so bad for 12. Chad’s had a tough go and he breaks his ankle. Everything he went through this year, it just shows you how much his teammates really appreciate him. I think they feel that way about each other in that locker room. I told them after the game that I’m so proud of them. Our journey hasn’t been easy this year, but I enjoy everybody in that locker room.”
Arbuckle came off the bench and went five-of-eight for 73 yards in the final frame, holding on to win by just two points after a late surge by Montreal. The Argos needed a complete team effort to pull off the upset in front of a sold-out crowd at Percival Molson Stadium, forcing six turnovers while scoring touchdowns on both defence and special teams.
“It sucks so bad what happened to Chad because we all love him so much and nobody’s worked harder to help us get to this spot,” the 31-year-old said of his motivation for victory. “He preached all week about how he has our back and we have his back. That’s what we all told him when he went down there; we have his back.”
With the win, Toronto booked their ticket to the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver but will be without Kelly — the man who came off the bench to secure them their last championship two years ago — for six to nine months. Dinwiddie definitively named Arbuckle the team’s starter immediately after the game, handing the reins to a late training camp addition who openly admitted to contemplating retirement before the season.
Despite the unusual circumstances, the Argos may be unusually positioned for success with a backup QB and not just because they survived nine games without Kelly to start the year. Dinwiddie himself was placed in this exact scenario as a player when he was forced to make his first career start for Winnipeg in the 2007 Grey Cup after starter Kevin Glenn went down the week prior.
“I trust Nick. I believe in Nick. We didn’t change our game plan when he went in. We were aggressive,” he insisted.
“Fortunately, Nick’s played in big games. That was my first time playing in the Grey Cup. I just told him that I’m gonna give him an advantageous opportunity to be successful compared to what our coaches asked us to do.”
The Argonauts (12-8) will face off against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12-7) in the 111th Grey Cup on Sunday, November 17. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST from BC Place in Vancouver.
