It has been close to 18 months since Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly last played a professional football game, but fans may not have to wait much longer to see him on the field.
“I’m feeling really good. I feel like I can go,” the former Most Outstanding Player told the media via video conference. “To finally be healed up fully in January was a big step forward mentally that I needed to overcome. I’m just trying to build the tank as much as I can, keep on working out with the guys, and throwing to them as much as I can. Just being ready, mentally and physically, to go through a long season. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.”
Kelly last saw action in the 2024 Eastern Final, where he suffered a broken tibia and fibula. That injury required surgery and intensive rehab, with the QB’s health becoming one of the major storylines of the 2025 season.
Despite optimism that he could return to the lineup early in the campaign, Toronto never cleared Kelly for contact practices, and he spent considerable time away from the facility in order to work with his own trainer in Buffalo. The 32-year-old teased a comeback on social media in Week 15, but the Argos elected not to put him at risk and instead shut him down for the remainder of the year.
All parties have indicated that Kelly will be the Week 1 starter this year, barring any unforeseen setbacks. However, the Ole Miss product wasn’t particularly forthcoming about the details of his physical and mental recovery on Thursday, declining to speak with 3DownNation.
“I won’t be answering any of these questions,” he said when asked to confirm whether his leg is 100 percent recovered.
While that opacity might cause fans some degree of trepidation, Kelly’s teammates don’t appear to have any doubts regarding his recovery.
“Chad’s gonna be Chad. He’s hungry, he’s determined. He’s got that will to win and will to be the best. He’s gonna go out there and lead us, and he’s gonna do really good things this year,” receiver Makai Polk said in a sitdown with 3DownNation‘s Justin Dunk.
Last week, Argonauts’ head coach Mike Miller told reporters that he believes Kelly will be able to return to his M.O.P. form from the 2023 season, restoring a career trajectory that has been derailed by suspension and injury. Top target Damonte Coxie, who has worked out with his quarterback regularly throughout the offseason, thinks that is an accurate assessment.
“Definitely. I believe he’s gonna get there because Chad is one of those guys that you tell him no, he’s gonna find a way to do it,” he explained. “I believe that wholeheartedly, and I think he’s locked in to a point where everything else really doesn’t matter but football. He’s calling, he’s ready to go throw every other day. We are already throwing every day. I think he gonna be ready, man, I do. I’m excited for him. It’s all a mindset and with him, when he flips that switch, ain’t no turning it off.”
When Toronto opens the regular season on Friday, June 12, in Montreal, it will mark 580 days since Kelly last played a meaningful game. Perhaps more importantly, the milestone will occur on the same field where he suffered his injury, potentially bringing back painful memories.
Nonetheless, Coxie has little concern regarding Kelly’s mental state entering that contest.
“I think Chad’s already past it. Honestly, I think at this point it’s more of him proving to himself,” he said. “I think the hurdles that he faced, he’s over them. I think he’s more at a point where he’s even come to peace with the situation. He sees the line, the starting point. The season’s getting here, it’s time to lock back in. We had a long time off, he had a long time off, and I think he’s ready.”
For his part, Kelly acknowledged that patience will be key as he readjusts to game speed, though he stopped short of examining the emotional toll that his return may exact.
“You’ve got to just let the game come to you. Take what the defence gives you and use your strengths to your strength,” he said. “I know what I can and can’t do, and I know how to manage the game from a quarterback’s perspective. Getting these guys the ball makes my job a lot easier, so that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”
That excitement is mutual, and his receivers don’t seem to think he has any reason to hold back.
“He’s a professional. There’s no need to be going out there being nervous or passive or whatever,” Polk insisted. “All the work you’ve put in, that’s the preparation, and when you’re prepared, you’re gonna play like it. He should have no doubt in his mind that he can go out there and be Chad Kelly again.”
All CFL training camps are scheduled to open on May 10. Toronto will play its first preseason game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, May 23, then its first regular-season game against the Montreal Alouettes on Friday, June 12.
In 2025, Toronto finished third in the East Division standings with a 5-13 record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Mike Miller was promoted to the role of head coach following the departure of Ryan Dinwiddie.
