The reigning MVP of the Canadian Football League will miss at least half of the upcoming season following allegations of sexual harassment.
Former Ole Miss and current Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly has been suspended for a minimum of nine regular season games and two preseason games, according to a release from the CFL. The league came to its conclusion following an investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength and conditioning coach against both Kelly and the club.
“Players are the ambassadors of our great game,” CFL Commissioner Randy Ambroise said. “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 Mr. Kelly unequivocally violated the CFL’s gender-based violence policy.”
The former Argos staffer, who has not been named publicly, argues she was sexually harassed by Kelly before wrongfully being terminated from her position as Toronto breached the CFL’s violence against women policy by not submitting a criminal incident report to the league office. She is seeking $296,603 from the Argos and $50,000 from Kelly.
Kelly, who has denied any wrongdoing, will not be reinstated for on-field play until he successfully undergoes confidential assessments by an independent expert and attends mandatory counseling sessions conducted by a gender-based violence expert.
“Mr. Kelly’s suspension is the direct result of his behavior,” Ambroise continued. “The addition of mandatory counseling 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.”
While Kelly has not commented on the league’s decision to suspend him, he sent out a now-deleted post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, following the allegations surfacing in March.
“I am shocked by the allegations which have been made against me,” the post read. “I absolutely deny these events and intend to vigorously defend myself and will be seeking the dismissal of the action.”
The announcement did not include any penalties or sanctions against the Argos. Instead, it said the facts surrounding the club’s conduct in the matter, as laid out by investigators, will be reviewed internally.
Kelly is coming off his best professional season since his time in Oxford. In 2023, he won the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award and earned the largest contract in CFL history after passing for 4,123 yards with 31 total touchdowns. Kelly was selected by the Denver Broncos in 2017 with the last pick of the NFL Draft before being released from the team after being arrested for criminal trespassing. He later had a short stint with the Indianapolis Colts before signing with Toronto.
