Toronto Argonauts

The Canadian Football League announced Sunday it has reinstated Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly.

The announcement explained he was reinstated "on a last chance agreement provided that he continues to meet a number of ongoing conditions."

Kelly was suspended for nine games on May 7, and the league's announcement explained he "was required to attend psychological assessments and mandatory counseling sessions conducted by an independent expert."

The league reviewed the findings and reinstated him, although it noted "the ongoing mandatory conditions surrounding Mr. Kelly's reinstatement reflect the need for him to demonstrate a continued commitment to upholding the league standards. These conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed."

Kelly is likely still best known among American fans for his time at Ole Miss. The Denver Broncos selected him in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft, but he appeared in just one regular-season game during his NFL career.

Denver released him following his arrest in 2018, and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor second-degree criminal trespassing in 2019. He was initially charged with first-degree criminal trespassing, but that was dropped as part of the plea agreement that sentenced him to one year of supervised probation and 50 hours of community service.

Kelly has been with the Argonauts since 2022.

Toronto has started the season with a 5-4 record without him and has largely relied on Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle as the primary quarterbacks. Dukes has completed 72.1 percent of his passes for 1,398 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season.

Next up for the Argonauts is an Aug. 22 game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The CFL has suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for a minimum of nine games for violating the league's gender-based violence policy.

According to the CFL's official release, Kelly will also be required to undergo confidential assessments by an independent expert and attend mandatory counseling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert.

The CFL has announced the following statement regarding Chad Kelly. pic.twitter.com/Fv3h1D9sgY

— CFL Communications (@CFL_PR) May 7, 2024

CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie issued a statement about Kelly's suspension included in the release:

"Players are the ambassadors of our great game. They are expected to be leaders in the locker room and role models in the community. It was important that we performed our due diligence to properly review this matter from all points of view. That in-depth investigation found that Mr. Kelly unequivocally violated the CFL's Gender-based Violence Policy.

"Mr. Kelly's suspension is the direct result of his behaviour. The addition of mandatory counselling focuses on his need for self-reflection and understanding of his actions. He must take full advantage of this opportunity for personal betterment in order to return to the CFL."

Kelly's suspension stems from an investigation after a former Argonauts strength and conditioning coach filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the team and quarterback.

Per TSN's Rick Westhead, the lawsuit, filed on Feb. 21 in Ontario Superior Court, alleged Kelly harassed the former coach and the Argonauts fired her after she rejected his advances.

"[The plaintiff] reported the harassment she was experiencing from Chad to her superiors," the lawsuit states. "[The] Argonauts failed to address [her] legitimate concerns and then terminated her employment."

The coach worked for the Argonauts from 2018 until January 2024.

Per the CFL's official policy, any sanctions involving suspensions and loss of income "will only be an option if or when allegations are substantiated and the safety of a victim and/or community members has been compromised."

Kelly is entering his third season with Toronto. He began his college career at Clemson in 2012 before being dismissed in April 2014 for conduct detrimental to the team.

After spending one season at East Mississippi Community College, Kelly transferred to Mississippi in 2015. He played two years with the Rebels before being a seventh-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.

Kelly spent time with the Broncos and Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Argonauts in February 2022. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player last year.

Toronto will play its first preseason game against the Montreal Alouettes on May 25. It opens the regular season on June 9 against the BC Lions.

A minimum nine-game suspension means the earliest Kelly would be eligible to play is in Week 12 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Aug. 22.

The former strength and conditioning coach who is suing both the Toronto Argonauts and former team quarterback Chad Kelly filed an amended statement of claim on April 2, arguing Kelly is "liable for sexual harassment in the workplace contrary to section 7 of the Ontario Human Rights Code," per Justin Dunk of 3 Down Nation.

Per the filing, the woman has accused Kelly of a "campaign of harassment" in addition to continually trying to date her despite her expressed disinterest.

The woman first sued Kelly and the Argonauts in February, saying Kelly's advances went from unwanted romantic advances to threatening language. She said when she told the team of the behavior no action was taken and assistant general manager John Murphy told her she "opened a can of worms that didn't need to be opened."

She then said she was told on Jan. 29 her contract wouldn't be renewed. She is suing the team for wrongful dismissal.

The lawsuit has argued that Kelly's significant profile as the Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 CFL season—he also had a successful college career with Ole Miss and appeared in one NFL game with the Denver Broncos—is more reason his "conduct deserves special reprimand from the court to send out a message that women must be treated with respect and Canadian courts will not tolerate behavior similar to Chad's."

Kelly's agent, Chris Lambiris, responded that the amendment was "merely a procedural matter" and that they were "[looking] forward to our statement of defense speaking for itself."

Kelly said in late February that he denied the allegations and was "shocked" by them, adding that he intended to "vigorously defend myself and will be seeking the dismissal of the action."

The CFL released a statement saying it was investigating the matter "in accordance with the league's gender-based violence policy" and took the allegations "very seriously."

"The Toronto Argonauts share the CFL's commitment to providing healthy and positive work environments," the team added in a statement at the time. "The organization will reserve any further comment until the conclusion of the league's investigation."

The Canadian Football League announced that it has suspended Toronto Argonauts Vice President of Player Personnel John Murphy following a physical and verbal altercation with fans following the team's 27-19 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Final on Sunday.

The league also stated that its investigation into player altercations with fans is still ongoing.

A fan video captured an altercation that appeared to show Murphy jawing and pushing with numerous Tiger-Cats supporters:

Cats fan only gets involved after he pushes that lady and calls her names. Argos coach hits first. pic.twitter.com/IbUCnzQJmR

— emily (@emilyvi0let) December 6, 2021

Per TMZ Sports, a couple of Argonauts players jumped a railing and engaged in a physical altercation with fans after someone allegedly spit beer in a player's face.

TMZ Sports also noted that Murphy appears to use a gay slur toward someone in addition to making contact with a fan who gave him the middle finger.

There is also video of fans getting into altercations with players:

WATCH: Things got heated at the Toronto Argos VS. Hamilton Tiger Cats game earlier after a Ticats fan allegedly spit his beer into a players face. pic.twitter.com/PPTjzukmAG

— 6ixBuzzTV (@6ixbuzztv) December 6, 2021

Toronto police are investigating, per Sportsnet.

3DownNation provided more context:

According to 6ix Buzz TV, the incident was precipitated by a Ticats fan spitting beer in the face of an Argonauts player as they were leaving the field after their 27-19 loss. The fans were also apparently waving flags close to players heads and directing verbal insults their way.

The video allegedly shows strong-side linebacker Chris Edwards in the stands with teammates climbing up to join him. Canadian receiver Dejon Brissett appears to speak to Edwards in an attempt to calm him before a fan, wearing a Ticats flag as a cape, appears to shove him.

Punches appear to been exchanged as Edwards retreats, before Brissett appears to pin the fan to the wall as security arrives.

3DownNation further reported that offensive linemen Dejon Allen and Shane Richards were also allegedly in the video, along with former NFL pass-rushers Shane Ray and Kony Ealy.

The Argonauts hosted the Tiger-Cats at BMO Field with a spot in the Grey Cup on the line. A crowd of 21,492 saw Hamilton overcome a 12-0 halftime deficit to beat the East Division regular-season champions.

Hamilton will now host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Grey Cup.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders wide receiver Martavis Bryant has signed with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, according to the team's vice president of player personnel John F. Murphy. 

Bryant, 29, last played in the NFL in 2018 with the Raiders, posting 19 receptions for 266 yards in eight games (two starts).  

The wide receiver looked like he was bound for stardom after an excellent rookie season in 2014 that saw him catch 26 passes for 549 yards and eight touchdowns in 10 games. He followed that up with 50 receptions for 765 yards and six scores in 2015 across 11 contests, though he was suspended the first four games of that season for violating the league's policy on substances of abuse.

That suspension foreshadowed further issues that stalled Bryant's NFL career. He was indefinitely suspended by the NFL in 2016 and missed the entire season for multiple violations of the policy on substances of abuse. He was also banned indefinitely in Dec. 2018 for violating the conditional terms of his reinstatement to the league in 2017.

Bryant never played another snap in the NFL after that 2018 suspension. In total he played in 44 career games, catching 145 passes for 2,183 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

The former Clemson Tiger will look to resurrect his football career in the CFL. 

One thing was very clear walking into the Rogers Centre for the East Final between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats: It was going to be loud.

Tiger-Cats fans packed the stadium and made their presence felt right away. It got even louder when Andre Durie caught the opening kickoff, faked an end around to Chad Owens, stopped, turned around and fumbled the ball. The Tiger-Cats recovered it and the crowd erupted.

Perhaps the Hamilton fans were feeling a little displaced while waiting for their permanent stadium to be built and made the trip to cheer on their team. Or, perhaps more likely, they just really like the Tiger-Cats. But either way, they showed up and made an impact.

The only problem for the Tiger-Cats and their fans was that the Toronto Argonauts came to play. After falling behind 3-0, the Argonauts capped a 64-yard opening drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Watt, his first of two major catches on the day.

The shootout continued as the teams took full advantage of the Rogers Centre dome being closed and took to the air. At halftime, Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray had completed 17 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns. His counterpart, Henry Burris, had 144 yards and two scores as well.

But the game was a tale of two halves on Sunday. In the first half, the Argonauts consistently made big plays, their defense supported their offense and they found themselves up 24-17 at the break.

But then came the second half. And those screaming Tiger-Cats fans that were temporarily silenced had reason to cheer.

The Cats started the third quarter with a 68-yard touchdown drive to tie the game at 24 and never looked back. Their defense was able to apply consistent pressure to Ray and hold the Argonauts to just two first downs in the entire second half.

The Tiger-Cats offense also improved and was able to consistently get open on short passing routes and effectively run the clock down late in the fourth quarter.

It felt like a home game for the visiting Tiger-Cats, who were aided by a very loud fanbase late in the fourth quarter. The noise certainly played a factor, as the Argonauts offense was unable to get in rhythm.

Among Hamilton's leaders was quarterback Henry Burris, who finished the game with 371 yards through the air and three touchdowns. Andy Fantuz had a great second half and finished with 11 catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

With the win, the Tiger-Cats secured their place in the 101st Grey Cup in Regina.

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The Toronto Argonauts took to the Rogers Centre field on Tuesday in preparation for the 2013 East Division final against the Hamilton Tiger Cats. In order to beat the Tiger Cats and book their trip to the Grey Cup in Regina, the Argonauts have been preparing a little differently this week.

To begin with, practices are being held inside the Rogers Centre. The move is likely to get the players accustomed to playing on their home turf, but the Argonauts were also able to use the stadium sound system to their advantage. While running the first team offense and defense units against each other, the stadium blared simulated crowd noise.

With Hamilton and Toronto so close geographically, a strong Hamilton fanbase is expected to pack the seats on Sunday. “It’s just good for communication,” said head coach Scott Milanovich after practice. “There’s more communication that goes on defensively than you’d think, too.”

The Argonauts also have a unique challenge waiting for them this week. In their win over the Montreal Alouettes in the East Division semifinal, the Hamilton Tiger Cats deployed a two-quarterback system where Henry Burris and Dan LeFevour continually rotated throughout the game to give the offense a different look.

Milanovich acknowledged that the Argonauts will have to prepare their defense for both quarterbacks. “You have to essentially prepare for two different styles of offense,” Milanovich commented via conference call. “That makes it difficult, takes time out of practice, and when you’re preparing for a bunch of different things, there are things you can’t cover.”

It remains to be seen how often, if at all, the Tiger Cats will switch quarterbacks, but at the very least, they have the Argonauts thinking about it.

The last major piece of the Argonauts' preparation is in the backfield, where an injury to starting running back Chad Kackert has forced Jerious Norwood and Curtis Steele into the first-team offense.

Norwood, a former third-round NFL draft choice for the Atlanta Falcons, joined the Argonauts in August and has rushed for 342 yards and one touchdown in 58 attempts. Steele is in his first season with the Argonauts and has accumulated 187 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Look for both players to fill the void left by Kackert.

Note: all quotes were acquired first hand unless otherwise noted.

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With just one week remaining in the CFL regular season, it is beginning to look like the 101st Grey Cup might be a repeat of the 2012 game.

Both the defending champion Toronto Argonauts and last year's West Division champion Calgary Stampeders have won their respective divisions and are riding winning streaks as they wrap up the regular season.

The Argonauts (11-6) have clinched first place in the East Division and have won two in a row.

Moreover, after being sidelined by injury for more than a month from late-August to mid-October, No. 1 quarterback Ricky Ray is back and playing like he hasn't missed a snap. In three games since his return he has passed for 1,054 yards and six touchdowns against just two interceptions.

If he gets banged up again, young Zach Collaros did a solid job filling in for Ray. In 13 appearances this year, Collaros has passed for 2,252 yards and a 99.1 passer's rating.

Toronto's defense is currently the best in the East, having surrendered the fewest points against in the division (435). Leading the way is linebacker Robert McCune, who is second in the CFL with 99 tackles, and Patrick Watkins, who is tied for third in the league in interceptions with five.

Consequently, the Argos look to be peaking at just the right time.

Meanwhile, in the West Division, the Stampeders (14-3) have the best record in the CFL, are on a five-game winning streak and their 542 points for are 49 more than any other team in the league.

Not only do the Stamps have the leading rusher in the league—Jon Cornish, with 1,799 yards on the ground and a 7.1 yards per carry average—but they also have the top pass rusher on defense: DL Charleston Hughes has 18 sacks on the year.

Place kicker Rene Paredes is having a spectacular season for Calgary. His 207 points are leading the CFL, and his success rate on field goals is a ridiculous 94.5 percent.

On the other side of the special teams game, Larry Taylor is leading the league in combined return yards (1,970), helping to provide the Stamps with excellent field position on every possession.

On top of it all, it appears that all three of Calgary's quarterbacks are getting the job done, no matter who gets the call. With Drew Tate injured for much of the season, Kevin Glenn has stepped into the No. 1 role under center and has done an admirable job; he has passed for 2,665 yards since taking over the job.

Last weekend against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Glenn had an off game, throwing an interception and losing two fumbles. Tate was called into action for the second half and guided the team to victory on the strength of 11-for-16 passing for 181 yards.

And on those nights when Glenn and Tate have both been out of commission, third-string pivot Bo Levi Mitchell has been able to fill in and look like a seasoned veteran. He has passed for 1,144 yards and 10 touchdowns in limited action.

In fact, all three Calgary quarterbacks—as well as punter Rob Maver—have passer's ratings over 100 this season.

Put all together, the Stamps are looking more and more like the team to beat in the postseason.

As the division winners, both Toronto and Calgary get byes through the first round of the playoffs, so they'll get a chance to rest up and come into the postseason fresh and healthy.

Both the Argos and Stamps wind up their regular seasons on Friday night; Toronto hosts the Montreal Alouettes in the early game while Calgary visits the B.C. Lions in the late game. Both could be previews of the second round of the playoffs and could set the tone for things a couple weeks down the road.

Calgary is a combined 4-2 against the Lions and Roughriders this season, so they seem to have the advantage against either of their potential playoff opponents.

Toronto has been a little less dominant, beating Montreal both times they've faced each other while losing two of three against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but one of those losses to Hamilton came while Ray was on the shelf, so you can't count them out if they face each other again in two weeks.

Upsets are not unusual in the postseason, but both the Argos and Stamps seem to be holding all the cards right now. Don't bet against the two facing each other in Regina on November 24 in the 101st Grey Cup.

Follow me on Twitter @calgaryjimbo

With Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray expected to miss six weeks with a partial tear in his shoulder, backup Zach Collaros has been thrust into the spotlight.

Collaros will be charged with commanding the first place Argonauts until November, and his football future may be determined within that time.

It is not often that a 25-year-old backup starting in place of a future Hall Of Fame quarterback is a career defining moment, but the situation this season is unique. When Ray returns, the starting job will be his, no matter how well Collaros plays; so why are the next six weeks so important?

The answer is the 2013 CFL expansion draft and the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

Collaros played his college football with the Cincinnati Bearcats where he started in his final two seasons. After leading the Big East in passing yards and touchdowns in 2010, Collaros was selected as the First-Team All-Big East Quarterback.

In 2012, Collaros worked out with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers but did not make the team. He signed with the Toronto Argonauts and made his CFL debut in 2012 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Ottawa REDBLACKS will join the CFL for the 2014 season and will have a chance to draft 24 current players as part of an expansion draft. They will select three players from each of the eight teams—two Canadians and one import.

Teams are allowed to protect one quarterback, and it is a foregone conclusion that the Argonauts are going to protect Ricky Ray. That leaves Collaros as a potential first-round draft choice for the new franchise.

But Collaros is not the only young and talented quarterback potentially available to the REDBLACKS. In order to get a sense of who is out there, we only need to look back as far as Week 5 of this season.

In Week 5, four backup quarterbacks started and impressed, including Collaros. Drew Willy, 26, started for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns while on the road. Bo Mitchell made his CFL debut for the Calgary Stampeders and completed 29 of 33 passes (throwing for three touchdowns), while Justin Goltz started for Winnipeg and threw for two touchdowns. Collaros led the Argonauts to victory by throwing for 253 yards and three touchdowns.

All four of these backup quarterbacks are born outside of Canada, which makes them eligible as import players. The Ottawa REDBLACKS management will be looking at the Week 5 game film closely, but they have been afforded another opportunity with Collaros.

The REDBLACKS will have an extended chance to see Collaros. They can analyze how he leads the offense, how he takes a hit and how he reads defenses. Collaros is a hybrid-type quarterback that can run outside the pocket in order to extend the play.

At practice on Saturday, Argonauts head coach Scott Milanovich had high praise for Collaros. Milanovich mentioned how “he’s a confident, young guy” and later added that “he is a very natural leader.”

If Ottawa is looking for a mobile, young quarterback to lead their franchise, then for Zach Collaros, the next six weeks are more than just a chance to take regular snaps. They are a try out.

Note: all quotes were acquired first hand.

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