Will Kelly play again?

[TecnoGenius]

Time to move on - no babysitters no isolation from "pretty" girls (what that even means and defined is ridiculous).

You didn't look up the picture of the Argos trainer then, did you?  You can "PC" all you want, but biology is still biology.  If the trainer had looked like Buzz or Gainer, this thread would never have existed.

It's a simple case of a (perceived?) alpha male going after the best-looking female.  I bet Kelly was used to getting what he wants all through college: hence his major issues now in life when he finds someone who says "no".  Don't blame me: I'm just (apparently) the messenger.

[ichabod_crane]

Just not a fan of Kelly as a leader.....can he QB?  No question about his abilities but at what cost do you take him on?  I'm quite disillusioned with the Argos organization, Pinball and Kelly.    We have superior role models like Zach, Nathan, Trevor, Cody and Jeremiah.....Kelly is like a fly in the ointment!   
There is something off when it comes to Kelly's character both on and off the field....is he autistic?  That would explain a lot however the end results don't change what happened here....and will it continue should he be reinstated?

I'm not looking at football players to be my "role models"! Just like celebrities or others such as politicians. I gave up on that horse MANY DECADES AGO! True role models are from REAL heroes such as soldiers or your parents or friends/siblings or a mentor at your job or your good coaches in amateur sports growing up. Sorry,  I WILL NEVER get hero worship of ANY Sports star as they are just people too. Admiration OK for their talents, but not that I WILL EVER expect them to be role models unless they want to.

Does it help it they are upstanding citizens? Of course it does both for the team and community they play in, but telling me they need to be a Mahatma Ghandi is a bit ridiculous for any sports player!

[TecnoGenius]

Just the opposite I think. The league suspended him for at least 9 games. An out of court settlement happened. He failed his evaluation

We have no word or proof he failed anything.  From all we know he did everything the league wanted and passed with all A+'s.

Just like the command center guidelines fiasco, the league could solve a whole ton of these problems by just giving us more info!!  More transparency!

[TecnoGenius]

If the league suspends him permanently, Pinball is off the hook.

That's an interesting point.  He won't regain SMS money already paid to Kelly (bonus + salary to date), right??

But might he be forgiven the remainder of his salary just as if Kelly had been on 6GIR all season?

If SMS issues are contingent on how Kelly is handled by the league, Pinball might be waiting for the league to drop the axe.  Why would Pinball cut him if the SMS implications are way worse?

You know who's loving all of this?  Maciocia and Maas... sitting back in their recliners smoking cigars and laughing all the way to the GC.

[TecnoGenius]

Kelly: What does that mean?
Handler: Anything they want it to.
Kelly: Should I sign it?
Handler: I wouldn't.

It's a greasy negotiation tactic. It's like agreeing to buy or sell a house then adding additional clauses at signing time to change the terms of the agreement. 

TB is 100% right.  It's greaseball.  What would have been correct here would be to tell Kelly on day one of the suspension that he had to pass all of these classes PLUS sign a Last Chance contract.

They could have easily done that on day one, but didn't.

It's almost like they are desperately trying to oust Kelly and may not let him back even if he jumps through every hoop and signs every lopsided last-minute contract.  Weird, really.  It's almost like it's personal, or MLSE/TOR has made Ambrosie their sworn enemy.  It's like some bad TV drama.

Then they should have told him about the new rules before the meeting.

Bingo.

[ichabod_crane]

IF Kelly has any scruples and maturity, he comes back and ROARS to the GC making up for the troubles & farces he has done in the past year for his teammates, for the Argos, for the Argo fans and the CFL in general. FOR HIS FAMILY And loved ones too! GROW UP ALREADY! Very sick and tired of little boys in their 20's pretending they are men!

He does have some talents and stuffing those cigars into Machoka's and Mass's faces would be nice to see as well!! I'm no fan of Kelly, but he has a real chance to redeem himself as a person and player if he plays his cards right TRUTHFULLY AND HUMBLY instead of continuing to be a douche!

[TecnoGenius]

IF Kelly has any scruples and maturity, he comes back and ROARS to the GC making up for the troubles & farces he has done in the past year for his teammates, for the Argos, for the Argo fans and the CFL in general. FOR HIS FAMILY And loved ones too! GROW UP ALREADY! Very sick and tired of little boys in their 20's pretending they are men!

100%.  That's the flipside of all of this that many are ignoring.  It could be the perfect "redemption story" and "troubled boy makes good, finds Jesus".  It would be a great warm fuzzy TSN segment in a future year.  Doesn't everybody love the "guy gets a second chance and does good" tale?  They could get the trainer to come on and publicly forgive him (LOL).

Kelly could do all of that, should they let him back in.  Destroying MTL in a 45-7 EDF would be epic.

However, you'd have to be very brave to put money on this outcome... Kelly is clearly a bit(!) messed up.  I won't be betting!

[TecnoGenius]

Isn't the Last Chance contract proof that Kelly successfully completed his "sensitivity training"?  If he didn't pass and they still wanted him out, they could just say he didn't pass and be done with it.  There would be no need for a new Last Chance roadblock.

Something is fishy and I'm not sure everyone is operating in good faith.

[gobombersgo]

yes

[Sir Blue and Gold]

Now he can go beat the Riders on Thursday.

[Blue In BC]

Isn't the Last Chance contract proof that Kelly successfully completed his "sensitivity training"?  If he didn't pass and they still wanted him out, they could just say he didn't pass and be done with it.  There would be no need for a new Last Chance roadblock.

Something is fishy and I'm not sure everyone is operating in good faith.

Disagree.

[The Zipp]

He is back.  He has a statement out as do the Argos. 

Assume he will play this week


From 3rd down:


The CFL has reinstated Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly on a last chance agreement provided he continues to meet unspecified ongoing conditions.

Commissioner Randy Ambrosie suspended Kelly on Tuesday, May 7 for a minimum nine games based on findings from a thorough third-party investigation into allegations made against him. During his suspension, he was required to attend psychological assessments and mandatory counselling sessions conducted by an independent expert in the gender-based violence field.

"I am sorry for my actions and the impact it has had on many people personally, the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL," Kelly said in a statement.

"I recognize this is just one step in the process of bettering myself, but it is an important one, and I am committed to doing what is needed to be a better teammate, colleague and person. With that commitment in mind, I have accepted the league's conditions of reinstatement, including its last chance agreement."

Kelly served the ninth game of his suspension on Friday, August 9. The league office received his final assessment on Saturday, August 10 and immediately completed a thorough review process. The CFL sought guidance from an expert who specializes in gender-based violence, met with the psychologist and counsellor who worked with Kelly. He then took part in an in-person discussion with Ambrosie.

"The Argos and MLSE take this issue extremely seriously, in keeping with our unwavering commitment to maintaining a work environment where individuals are treated with respect and dignity and that is free from discrimination and harassment," MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement.

"The organization will implement a comprehensive education program, focused on this issue, to ensure all team members and staff are properly equipped with the awareness and skills to protect against this issue occurring in the future."

According to the league, ongoing mandatory conditions surrounding Kelly's reinstatement reflect the need for him to demonstrate a continued commitment to upholding league standards. Those conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed by the CFL.

"This is an important step for Chad who has taken full accountability for his actions and represents just the beginning of his ongoing commitment to bettering himself and learning from this experience," general manager Michael 'Pinball' Clemons said in a statement. "There continues to be much work to do to strengthen our team culture and we are all committed with Chad's return, to work on this together, as a team."

In February, a former team employee filed a lawsuit with the Ontario Superior Court alleging Kelly "repeatedly sought to initiate romantic connections" with her throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons. She claimed Kelly escalated his harassment last November when he publicly accused her of being romantically involved with another player, which sparked a verbal altercation, an incident she alleged led to the team not renewing her contract.

Kelly filed his defence in the lawsuit and denied making "any romantic or sexual overtures" towards the plaintiff, including workplace sexual harassment. He called the claims "spurious" and accused the plaintiff of filing the lawsuit merely to draw media attention to what was "otherwise a very routine termination situation."

In the team's defence file, the Argonauts claimed "no knowledge" of any behaviour by Kelly that violated the league's gender-based violence policy or breached the Ontario Human Rights Code. The team claimed its conduct with the plaintiff was "all times fair, reasonable, lawful and undertaken in good faith."

The lawsuit was settled in June to the satisfaction of all parties and none of the allegations against Kelly or the Argonauts were ever tested in court. However, an 87-page report commissioned by the CFL from Saskatchewan-based firm Buckingham Security Services Ltd. corroborated three of six claims made against the quarterback, including "sexual harassment as defined by the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act."

Kelly signed with the Argos for the 2022 season and came off the bench to lead the team to victory in the 109th Grey Cup. He took over the starting job last year and posted a 15-1 win-loss record while throwing for 4,123 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions plus carrying the ball 41 times for 248 yards and eight touchdowns en route to being named the league's Most Outstanding Player.

The 30-year-old last played on November 11, 2023 — the same week several key allegations were claimed to have taken place. Kelly threw four interceptions and fumbled once in a stunning upset loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final and later claimed he suffered a concussion during the game.

The University of Mississippi product has been away from the team since his attendance at rookie camp in May drew criticism from multiple female employees in the CFL. Kelly elected not to appeal his suspension after withdrawing himself from training camp.

Backups Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle shared QB duties through the first half of the season, helping guide the Argos to a 5-4 record. Kelly rejoined the team for practice on Sunday, August 18. The Argonauts return to game action on Thursday, August 22 when Toronto hosts the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

[Blue In BC]

In theory people can change bad actions. IMO most don't. Either way, he wouldn't be a player I'd want on our roster. Manziel comes to mind. A famous American politician also comes to mind. This was not a singular incident, it was an on going multiple situation over time.

I'd suggest the Argos have an apple and a road map prepared for the most likely outcome. This is bad PR for the CFL.

[TBURGESS]

Would I have Kelly on my team? No.
Do I condone what Kelly did? No.
Do I think that it's a greasy negotiation tactic to drop additional restrictions during the meeting instead of before? Yes.

[Blue In BC]

Would I have Kelly on my team? No.
Do I condone what Kelly did? No.
Do I think that it's a greasy negotiation tactic to drop additional restrictions during the meeting instead of before? Yes.

We don't know that. We're not talking about the Pope here.