VAUGHAN, Ont. – Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly was back at Argonauts practice on Sunday after being conditionally reinstated by the CFL.

The league announced earlier Sunday that Kelly, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player last year, would be eligible to return to the league following a May 7 suspension for violating its gender-based violence policy. The suspension affected Toronto’s two tryouts and at least the first nine games of the regular season.

“The Canadian Football League (CFL) has reinstated Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly under a last-chance agreement, contingent on his continuing compliance with a number of ongoing conditions,” the league said in a statement.

“The continued conditions for Mr. Kelly’s reinstatement reflect the need for him to continue to demonstrate his commitment to compliance with league standards.”

The CFL said the terms were confidential and would not be disclosed.

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 against the Argos for wrongful termination. The lawsuit was settled in June through mediation involving all parties.

“This is an important step for Chad, who has taken full responsibility for his actions and represents just the beginning of his ongoing commitment to better himself and learn from this experience,” Argos general manager Mike (Pinball) Clemons said Sunday. “There remains much work to be done to strengthen our team culture and we are all committed to working together as a team to achieve this with Chad’s return.”

Under the terms of the suspension, Kelly was required to undergo confidential evaluations by an independent expert and attend mandatory counseling sessions with a gender-based violence expert. Both the counseling sessions and evaluations had to be satisfactorily completed before the CFL could consider Kelly’s reinstatement, and the league reserved the right to modify its disciplinary action.

Last weekend, the CFL announced it had received Kelly’s confidential psychological evaluation and would review the results with the help of experts before making a decision on Kelly’s reinstatement.

Kelly then participated in a one-on-one discussion with CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie.

Toronto’s 39-25 home win over Calgary on August 9 was the ninth game of the regular season. The Argos returned to the practice field after a week off.

Kelly, 30, has not played for Toronto since the loss to Montreal in last year’s East Division final. He stayed away from the team during his suspension and did not speak to the media on Sunday.

“I am sorry for my actions and the impact they have had on many people personally, the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL,” Kelly said in a statement from the Argos. “I realize this is just one step on the road to recovery, but it is an important step and I am committed to doing what is necessary to be a better teammate, colleague and person.”

“Considering this obligation, I have accepted the league’s terms and conditions for my reinstatement, including its ‘Last Chance Agreement.'”

Kelly made up about 70 percent of the offensive starting duties at Sunday’s practice, and head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said he plans to increase Kelly’s workload on Monday when Toronto (5-4) hosts the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-4-1) on Thursday night.

“I hope I get a clear idea of ​​what I want to do (on Monday),” Dinwiddie said after practice at the Ontario Soccer Centre. “It’s going to be a busy day. Day 2 is always our busier day, but it’s going to be a little more stressful.”

“But it was good to have him back. His teammates were excited to see him back in the building.”

Sunday’s session was a walk in the park in helmets and shorts, but Kelly still showed very good passing speed and the ability to play the ball through tight spaces.

Dinwiddie said it might be too much to ask for Kelly to compete Thursday with limited practice and no training camp, but he did leave open the possibility that Kelly will split workouts with Toronto’s other two quarterbacks, Cameron Dukes and veteran Nick Arbuckle.

“We felt it was important to let Chad do most of the work, the other guys have had a lot of practice and he needs to get back up to speed,” Dinwiddie said. “We also know that Chad isn’t going to be perfect on game day, but we also have to be ready to step up and play with the other guys who have played.”

“Maybe it’s decided by the committee, maybe it’s (Kelly) not the whole game.”

Kelly won 15 of 16 starts with Toronto last season, a 93.8 percent win rate that is the best ever for a player with at least 14 starts. He completed 270 of 394 passes (68.5 percent) for 4,123 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 248 yards and eight TDs – second-best in the CFL – and was named a league All-Star.

He led Toronto to a league-record 16-2 record and a franchise record, but the Argos’ season ended with a 38-17 home loss to eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal in the Eastern Final.

With Kelly suspended, Dukes and Arbuckle have taken over the snaps this season. Dukes started eight of the club’s nine regular season games, posting a record of 4-4, while Arbuckle won his only start.

And while Dukes has a solid 72.1% completion percentage, he has thrown for just 1,398 yards and has thrown almost as many interceptions (six) as touchdowns (seven). Arbuckle has completed 42 of 68 passes (61.8%) for 421 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Overall, Toronto’s offense has been inconsistent. This week, the team ranked seventh in offensive points scored (23.7 per game) and last in net offense (309.7), passing (210.9 yards per game), offensive penalties (37) and sacks allowed (23).

One bright spot, however, was the CFL’s best running attack (123.9 yards per game).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 18, 2024.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press