Mike Miller sidesteps contract extension halt between Toronto Argonauts, Chad Kelly

Photo: Jonathan Patlan/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

Head coach Mike Miller is seemingly aware of Chad Kelly’s impending contract status with the Toronto Argonauts, though it appears he doesn’t have a say in the matter.

“I coach the football team. We don’t worry about contracts,” Miller said postgame on Saturday.

“When we’re in the room, we’re coaching football, so anything about the business part of this industry, that takes place with another department. There’s really no way to answer that one. That has nothing to do with anything that we’re thinking about.”

The 32-year-old franchise QB decided to pause negotiations leading into Week 16 after months of good-faith discussions regarding an extension. He’s the second-highest-paid player in the CFL at $625,000 and is currently set to become a free agent in February 2027.

Kelly completed 19-of-31 passes (61.3 percent) for 373 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions to lead the Argonauts to a 24-19 upset win over the West Division-leading Edmonton Elks at BMO Field on Saturday. It was the 18th 300-yard game of his CFL career, and his 10th so far this year.

“I think just keep winning and the rest will take care of itself,” Kelly said postgame.

The six-foot-one, 216-pound passer has started 14 regular-season games for the Double Blue in 2026, completing 344-of-485 passes (70.9 percent) for 4,777 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions. He has also rushed 27 times for 171 yards and three scores.

Kelly leads the CFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns, but has also thrown eight more interceptions than any other quarterback in the league.

The University of Mississippi product first signed with Toronto in 2022, following four seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts, where he earned over $1.1 million USD.

He was selected with the final pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, though he likely would have been selected higher were it not for off-field concerns. In 2018, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanour second-degree criminal trespassing. He gained notoriety as the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, who was in attendance for Saturday’s game against Edmonton.

After arriving in Toronto, Kelly served as the primary backup behind McLeod Bethel-Thompson and came off the bench late in the 109th Grey Cup to secure a championship victory as a rookie. The following season, he was named the team’s full-time starter, throwing for 4,123 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and rushing for eight majors en route to being named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.

That offseason, Kelly was the subject of a civil lawsuit from a former team athletic trainer alleging workplace sexual harassment. The lawsuit was settled out of court, but the CFL suspended him for nine games after an independent investigation found that he violated the league’s gender-based violence and harassment policy. None of the allegations against Kelly were ever proven in court.

Kelly was reinstated following his suspension and returned to the helm of the Argonauts for the final nine games of that season, but later suffered a broken leg in the 2024 East Final. Toronto overcame his absence to win the Grey Cup, but the injury required surgery and forced Kelly to miss the entire 2025 season after a series of setbacks.

Following another stellar performance, Kelly helped Toronto clinch second place in the East Division and a home postseason game.

Kelly’s contract status will loom over the Argonauts as they finish the regular-season and head to the playoffs — and possibly the 113th Grey Cup.