Chad Kelly's Potential Reinstatement Uncertain Following Ultimatum From CFL
After an 11-game suspension, including nine regular-season games, Chad Kelly's return after compliance with the CFL's mandated counseling sessions seemed like a foregone conclusion.
Kelly was suspended after a since-settled harassment lawsuit was brought upon him by a former Argonauts employee.
However, Friday's reinstatement meeting between Kelly and CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie was anything but a simple formality.
As reported by TSN's Dave Naylor, Kelly's meeting with Canadian Football League commissioner Randy Ambrosie did not produce a resolution. Instead, Kelly and his camp were blindsided when the CFL produced an additional hurdle in the form of a "last chance agreement" that Kelly must agree upon to resume his Canadian Football League career.
Chad Kelly’s meeting with @CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie Friday did not produce a resolution to his seeking reinstatement. The league seeks to impose a “last chance agreement” as a condition of Kelly’s return which his representative insists deprives him of rights under the…
— Dave Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) August 16, 2024
The hard-line proposal by the CFL is a defacto one-more-strike-and-you're-out agreement. Predictably, Kelly's reps objected to the imposition, citing a violation of rights under the collective bargaining agreement.
As a result, Kelly and the CFL are at an impasse. The Toronto Argonauts, who tied a CFL record last year for regular-season wins with 16, are presently 5-4 without their superstar quarterback. The Boatmen are currently on a bye but return to practice on Sunday, as they prepare to host Saskatchewan next weekend.
The latest snag creates great doubt as to whether Kelly will rejoin the team then, or perhaps at all.
The 30-year-old former Ole Miss star Kelly signed a three-year, $1.865 million extension with the Argos last year, making him the highest-paid player in the CFL. After winning over his detractors with a starring turn in Toronto's Grey Cup victory in 2022, Kelly followed up with an all-star campaign, throwing for 4,123 yards and 23 touchdowns.
What was once one of the best stories of redemption in pro football took a turn for the worse. The question is, will Chad Kelly get another opportunity to redeem himself?
You can find Mike Mitchell on X @ByMikeMitchell.
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MIKE MITCHELL