The Canadian Football League has reinstated Toronto Argonauts superstar quarterback Chad Kelly. The league’s highest-paid player returns after completing league-mandated therapy sessions and serving an 11-game suspension, including nine regular-season games.
The reinstatement is subject to conditions that Kelly must meet if he wishes to remain in the CFL. The terms of the agreement are confidential.
Kelly returns to a 5-4 Argos team that will host the 5-4-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders at BMO Field on Thursday night.
The CFL, Kelly and the Argonauts released statements to the media on Sunday morning. In his statement, Kelly apologized for his conduct in a now-settled legal dispute with a former Argos employee.
I regret my actions and the impact they have had on many people personally, the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL. I recognize that this is only one step on the road to recovery, but it is an important step and I am committed to
to do whatever it takes to be a better teammate, colleague and person. With that commitment in mind, I have accepted the league’s terms of reinstatement, including the Last Chance Agreement.– Argos quarterback Chad Kelly
The Canadian Football League (CFL) has reinstated Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly under a last-chance agreement, provided he continues to meet several ongoing conditions. The terms of the agreement are being kept confidential.
– CFL Statement
On May 7, the CFL imposed a minimum nine-game suspension on Mr. Kelly based on the results of a thorough third-party investigation into the allegations against him. During his suspension, Mr. Kelly was required to complete psychological evaluations and mandatory counseling sessions with an independent expert in the field of gender-based violence. Mr. Kelly served the ninth game of his suspension on August 9.
– CFL statement on Kelly’s suspension
The CFL received Mr. Kelly’s final assessment on August 10 and immediately began a thorough review of its findings. The CFL sought advice from an expert specializing in gender-based violence and met with the psychologist and counselor who had worked with Mr. Kelly, and then attended a one-on-one interview with Commissioner Ambrosie.
– CFL Statement on the Reinstatement Process
The ongoing conditions for Mr. Kelly’s reinstatement reflect the need for him to continue to demonstrate his commitment to compliance with League standards. These conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed.
– CFL statement on current conditions
The Toronto Argonauts announced today that quarterback Chad Kelly will return to the team for practice today (Sunday, August 18) after completing an extensive personal counseling program and being reinstated by the CFL.
– Argonauts Team Announcement
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.” “There is still a lot of work to be done to strengthen our team culture and we are all committed to working on this together as a team with Chad’s return.”
– Argonauts GM Michael Clemons
Argos and MLSE take this issue extremely seriously. This is in line with our unwavering commitment to maintaining a work environment where people are treated with respect and dignity and which is free from discrimination and harassment. The company will implement a comprehensive education program focused on this issue to ensure that all team members and employees have the awareness and skills needed to prevent this issue in the future.
– MLSE CEO/President Keith Pelley
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