Kelly's meeting with Ambrosie produces no resolution to reinstatement
Published
Quarterback Chad Kelly's meeting with Canadian Football League commissioner Randy Ambrosie did not produce a resolution to his seeking reinstatement, reports TSN Football Insider Dave Naylor.
Naylor adds the league seeks to impose a "last chance agreement" as a condition of Kelly's return, which his representatives say deprives him of rights under the collective bargaining agreement.
Naylor further expanded on the situation during Friday's edition of OverDrive.
“The meeting between Chad Kelly and the commissioner did in fact happen today. What I believe is the league has tried to impose some further conditions on Chad Kelly. So that, yes, you could be reinstated, but these are the conditions under which you are going to be reinstated. And I don’t know that the Argos or Chad Kelly’s representatives are on board with that. Specifically one that is known as a “last chance” agreement. Which I believe is sort of a condition that would say ‘If we decide that you do anything that runs afoul of our expectations of you, we get rid of you.’”
“Now that, and the pushback is coming saying well that’s not the way player discipline works under the collective agreement… basically taking away Chad Kelly’s rights as a CFL player under the union if you forced him to accept a last chance agreement. I think there’s some back and forth going on this, I think this is going to continue into perhaps the next few hours and days. I think the Argos are scheduled to practice on Sunday. There’s some loggerheads on this one. My expectation was there was going to be a path for Chad Kelly to return to the Argonauts coming off their bye. But I think what’s always been understood is that there might be some conditions placed on him, and the question is whether those conditions are going to be palatable to Kelly and the Argos and to at least one them, it is not at this time.”
The league announced upon suspending Kelly prior to the season that the 2023 Most Outstanding Player must satisfactorily complete mandated counselling sessions and pass an assessment by an independent expert to return following an investigation into a lawsuit filed by the team's former strength and conditioning coach.
The lawsuit alleged that Kelly made repeated unwanted romantic advances that escalated into threatening language. The lawsuit was eventually settled through mediation.
"Mr. Kelly's suspension is the direct result of his behaviour," Ambrosie said at the time. "The addition of mandatory counselling focuses on his need for self-reflection and understanding of his actions. He must take full advantage of this."
Kelly was also suspended a minimum of nine regular-season games and two pre-season games as part of the ban.
A native of Buffalo and the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly, the 30-year-old Kelly signed a three-year, $1.865 million extension with the Argos last fall to make him the highest-paid player in the league.
In 2023, the Ole Miss product threw for 4,123 yards on 270-for-394 passing with 23 touchdowns to earn the league's top individual prize.
After a 16-2 regular season, the defending Grey Cup champion Argos fell, 38-17, in the Eastern Final to eventual champions, the Montreal Alouettes.
The Argonauts have gone 5-4 without Kelly this season, with Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle both seeing starts. Toronto will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders next Thursday following their bye.