Chad Kelly signs multi-year contract extension with Toronto Argonauts: report

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Quarterback Chad Kelly has agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Toronto Argonauts through the 2029 season, per Arash Madani.

The 32-year-old was slated to become a CFL free agent this offseason and announced in mid-September that he had halted contract talks with the Argos until the end of the 2026 season. His agent, Chris Lambiris, later revealed that he was seeking a deal that would pay Kelly based on a percentage of the salary cap, a contract structure that had been previously vetoed by the CFL.

The native of Buffalo, N.Y., is scheduled to earn $625,000 this season, making him the second-highest-paid player in the league behind only B.C.’s Nathan Rourke. His first contract extension with the Argonauts three years ago was a market-setting deal worth $1.865 million over three seasons, though he was not able to cash in on the full value of that deal.

Kelly has completed 70.9 percent of his passes for 5,067 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions over 16 starts this season. He finished third in the CFL in passing yardage and touchdowns, while throwing the most interceptions in the league. He is currently recovering from a knee injury suffered in Week 20, which may put his status for the playoffs in jeopardy.

The Ole Miss product first signed with the Argonauts in 2022, following four seasons in the NFL with the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts. He was selected with the final pick in the 2017 NFL Draft due to off-the-field concerns, which continued into his professional career when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanour second-degree criminal trespassing in 2018. He gained notoriety as the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly.

After arriving in Toronto, Kelly served as the primary backup behind McLeod Bethel-Thompson and came off the bench late in the 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 while 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. That lawsuit was settled out of court to the satisfaction of both parties, 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 Eastern Final. Toronto overcame his absence to win the Grey Cup, but the injury required surgery and forced Kelly to miss the entirety of the 2025 season after a series of setbacks.

The Toronto Argonauts (9-9) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-9) for the East Semi-Final at BMO Field on Saturday, October 31 with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. The teams met twice during the regular-season and split the meetings 1-1.

The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg and TSN 1050 in Toronto.