TORONTO – The CFL has reinstated Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly under conditions, the league announced Sunday morning.
The decision came after the league suspended Kelly, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player last season, on May 7 for Toronto’s two tryouts and the first nine games of the regular season for violating the league’s gender-based violence policy.
“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 league said the terms were confidential and would not be disclosed.
Kelly will return to the Argos on Sunday and participate in his first practice with the team. He will be eligible to play for the Argos (5-4) on Thursday night when they host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-4-1).
“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.'”
The suspension came after an independent investigation into a lawsuit filed against Kelly and the Argos by a former strength and conditioning coach. The lawsuit was settled in June through mediation involving all parties.
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 league announced that 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.
“This is an important step for Chad, who has taken full responsibility for his actions, and represents just the beginning of his continued commitment to better himself and learn from this experience,” said Argos GM Mike (Pinball) Clemons. “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.”
Toronto’s 39-25 home win over Calgary on August 9 was the ninth game of the regular season, after which the Argos had a week off.
“Argos and MLSE take this issue extremely seriously. This is consistent with our unwavering commitment to maintaining a work environment where individuals are treated with respect and dignity and that is free from discrimination and harassment,” said Keith Pelley, President and CEO of MLSE. “The organization will implement a comprehensive training program focused on this issue to ensure all team members and employees have the appropriate awareness and skills needed to avoid this issue in the future.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 18, 2024.
The Canadian Press
