Argos' Kelly to start Thursday vs. Riders following suspension
Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly will get the start Thursday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie announced, per Dave Naylor of TSN.
Kelly was reinstated by the league on Sunday after serving a suspension for violating the league's gender-based violence policy.
The 30-year-old's reinstatement came with a "last chance agreement" that requires Kelly to meet certain conditions to remain eligible to play. Kelly's representatives reportedly argued against the "last chance agreement" in a meeting with the commissioner last week.
"I'm sorry for my actions. I'm sorry for what I did. I affected a lot of people: my teammates, my coaches, women, family. I feel bad for the situation that happened. Every day, I'm trying to get better, be a better person, better teammate, better male," Kelly told reporters Tuesday, per Justin Dunk of 3DownNation.
He added: "I know what I did wrong, and I've learned from it. I've done more than what has been asked of me. I'm never going to do something like this again. I know I've affected a lot of people, including the person."
Kelly was sued by a former Argonauts strength and conditioning coach in February for alleged violations of the Ontario Human Rights Code. The two sides reportedly settled the lawsuit in June. The CFL handed Kelly a minimum nine-game suspension due to the allegations.
"I'm going to do better. I'm focused on being with my teammates and trying to share knowledge of what's right from wrong. I know what's right from wrong. I know what policies have been put in place before all this, and now, even more so after," Kelly said.
The Argos have struggled to sustain a consistent passing offense without Kelly, with three quarterbacks combining for 1,898 passing yards in nine contests.
Kelly won the Most Outstanding Player award in 2023 after leading the club to a 16-2 record with 4,123 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.