VAUGHAN, Ontario (AP) — Chad Kelly returned to the Toronto Argonauts on Sunday after the quarterback was reinstated by the Canadian Football League.
Kelly, who was the CFL’s most outstanding player last year, was suspended on May 7 for Toronto’s two exhibition games and at least the first nine regular-season contests for violating the CFL's gender-based violence policy.
The league said Sunday in a statement that it had reinstated Kelly “on a last-chance agreement provided that he continues to meet a number of ongoing conditions.” The league said the conditions are confidential and won’t be disclosed, but they "reflect the need for him to demonstrate a continued commitment to upholding league standards.”
The CFL’s suspension followed an independent investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against Kelly for sexual harassment and the Argos for wrongful dismissal. The lawsuit was settled in June through mediation.
“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,” Argos general manager Mike Clemons said Sunday. “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.”
Under the terms of his suspension, Kelly had to undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counseling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert. Both the counseling sessions and assessments had to be satisfactorily completed before the CFL would consider Kelly’s reinstatement and the league reserved the right to modify his discipline.
Last weekend, the CFL announced it had received Kelly’s confidential psychological assessment and would complete an examination of the results with the help of experts before making a decision on Kelly’s reinstatement.
Kelly then had a conversation with CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie.
Toronto’s 39-25 home win over Calgary on Aug. 9 was its ninth regular-season game.
Kelly, 30, hasn’t played with Toronto since its loss to Montreal in last year’s East Division final. He remained away from the team during his suspension and didn’t speak to media Sunday.
“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 issued by the Argos. “I recognize that 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."
Kelly, the nephew of Hall of Famer Jim Kelly, took roughly 70% of the starting offense snaps in Sunday’s practice, and coach Ryan Dinwiddie said he plans to increase Kelly’s workload Monday. Toronto (5-4) hosts Saskatchewan (5-4-1) on Thursday night.
“It was good to have him back,” Dinwiddie said following the workout. "His teammates were excited to see him back in the building.”
Dinwiddie said it might be asking a lot for Kelly to start Thursday with limited practices and no training camp. He left the door open to Kelly splitting reps with Toronto’s other two quarterbacks, Cameron Dukes and veteran Nick Arbuckle.
Kelly played in college at Clemson, East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi. He was the last pick in the 2017 NFL draft, selected by the Denver Broncos. The team released him in 2018 after he was arrested for criminal trespassing.
Kelly led Toronto to a league-best and franchise-record 16-2 record last season. The Argos’ season ended with a 38-17 home loss to eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal in the East Division final.
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FILE - Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly (12) throws against the Montreal Alouettes during the first half of a Canadian Football League game in Montreal, Sept. 15, 2023. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
