Report: Argos' Kelly out 6-9 months after tibia, ankle injuries in East final

Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly suffered a right tibia injury during his team's East Division final win over the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, TSN's Dave Naylor reports.

The 30-year-old will undergo surgery in Montreal on Saturday and is expected to miss six-to-nine months, according to Naylor.

Kelly also sustained a broken ankle on the play, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie told TSN's Matthew Scianitti postgame.

With Kelly out, veteran Nick Arbuckle, who finished Saturday's game under center, will be the Argos' starting quarterback for next week's Grey Cup, Dinwiddie added, per Scianitti.

Kelly suffered the injury while rushing for a 9-yard gain late in the third quarter. After being tackled, Kelly emerged from the pile hobbling before immediately falling to the ground while clutching his lower right leg. He was tended to on the field for several minutes before being stretchered off and taken to Montreal General Hospital.

The 2023 Most Outstanding Player passed for 182 yards and one touchdown while rushing for another 26 yards Saturday before the injury. Arbuckle completed five of eight passes for 73 yards in relief.

Next Sunday's Grey Cup will mark Arbuckle's first career playoff start. The six-year CFL veteran did appear in the 106th Grey Cup game for Calgary as a rookie, when he rushed for 4 yards as a short-yardage specialist in a Stampeders victory.

Arbuckle, 31, completed 65 of 100 passes for 799 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions during the regular season. He started two regular-season games for the Argos, including the season finale that saw him pass for 378 yards and a pair of majors against Edmonton.

Cameron Dukes, the third-stringer on Saturday's depth chart, will presumably back up Arbuckle next week. Toronto also plans to bring in a third QB who will be active for Sunday's championship game, Dinwiddie said, according to Scianitti.