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By Dan Ralph

TORONTO – Chad Kelly can return to the Toronto Argonauts.

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The CFL reinstated the quarterback on Sunday under conditions. The announcement came after the league suspended Kelly for Toronto’s two tryouts and the first nine games of the regular season on May 7 for violating its 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.

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Kelly, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player last season, will return to the Argos on Sunday and participate in his first practice with the team. He will be eligible to play for Toronto (5-4) on Thursday night when it hosts 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.'”

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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.

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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 ongoing commitment to better himself and learn from this experience,” said Argos General Manager 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, followed by 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, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. “The organization will implement a comprehensive education program focused on this issue to ensure all team members and employees have the appropriate awareness and skills to avoid this issue in the future.”

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Kelly, 30, won 15 of 16 starts with Toronto last season, with 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 running for 248 yards and eight TDs – second-best in the CFL – and was named a league All-Star.

He led Toronto to a league and franchise record of 16-2. But the Argos’ season ended with a 38-17 home loss to eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal in the East Division final.

Toronto caused nine turnovers in the game (four interceptions, fumble, four on downs).

With Kelly suspended, sophomore Cameron Dukes and veteran Nick Arbuckle took over the playing time this season. Dukes started eight of the club’s nine regular season games, posting a 4-4 record, while Arbuckle won his only start.

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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. The team entered this week ranked seventh in 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).

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