2025 season - CFL (Non-Bombers) news

[DM83]

Why is a post from June 14 the last on the forum.? (Non Bomber news?)

[Ridermania]

Argos shut down Nick Arbuckle for the season.

https://3downnation.com/2025/10/06/toronto-argos-shut-down-qb-nick-arbuckle-jarret-doege-to-start-in-week-19-against-riders-report/

[Blue In BC]

Argos shut down Nick Arbuckle for the season.

https://3downnation.com/2025/10/06/toronto-argos-shut-down-qb-nick-arbuckle-jarret-doege-to-start-in-week-19-against-riders-report/

Seeing him on the sidelines with his right arm in a sling was sad and unfortunate. I expected that finished his season. Argos will test their back ups now that their season is also done.

[Tecno]

Ok, can someone tell me what is going on with Chad Kelly?  Why is he unable to play even a single snap for an entire year?  This is the Argo's "lost season".  Bonus for MTL & HAM, eh?

[Blue In BC]

Ok, can someone tell me what is going on with Chad Kelly?  Why is he unable to play even a single snap for an entire year?  This is the Argo's "lost season".  Bonus for MTL & HAM, eh?

Good question and the answer is not entirely clear. Arbuckle was playing fairly well although the Argos were losing, it wasn't all on the QB. Keeping in mind he won the Grey Cup as the back up.

It took the Argos quite awhile to move Kelly from the 1 game IR to the 6 game IR and then extend him as well. There didn't seem to be the right time to remove him from the IR and it did save some SMS.

Are we 100% convinced the Argos don't move on from Kelly in 2026 by way of trade or release? Arbuckle is also a potential free agent but the team could well be in full re-build.

[Waffler]

what is going on with Chad Kelly? 

I am wondering the same thing. He had surgery right away and we were told 6 - 9 months. That was 11 months ago.  They have tried him in practice a few times and he is always not ready after that. If he truly is damaged goods I would expect an off-season release. It could be that he is a slow healer but he seemed plenty tough before. He even stood on that leg for a second. I can't imagine that he is not doing his rehab.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I am wondering the same thing. He had surgery right away and we were told 6 - 9 months. That was 11 months ago.  They have tried him in practice a few times and he is always not ready after that. If he truly is damaged goods I would expect an off-season release. It could be that he is a slow healer but he seemed plenty tough before. He even stood on that leg for a second. I can't imagine that he is not doing his rehab.

It's not unusual for a severely broken leg to take over a year to heal properly and as Dinwiddie is well aware the Argo O-line has played very bad this season, last game they gave up 9 QB sacks. Conclusion, not worth the risk.

[Waffler]

 After the surgery: He is expected to make a full recovery within the next three to six months, but a more defined timeline will be updated after 12 weeks.


They managed their roster like they thought they'd have him by Labor Day or so.

"[Kelly] wanted to go, you could tell he wanted to go when he was out there on the practice field, but he wasn't quite there yet," Argonauts head coach Ryan Dinwiddie told TSN1050's OverDrive on Monday. "The strength is there and he was moving around in practice, but we want to get some second opinions and he's kind of nervous about certain things.

Maybe it's in his head?

[Sir Blue and Gold]

I am wondering the same thing. He had surgery right away and we were told 6 - 9 months. That was 11 months ago.  They have tried him in practice a few times and he is always not ready after that. If he truly is damaged goods I would expect an off-season release. It could be that he is a slow healer but he seemed plenty tough before. He even stood on that leg for a second. I can't imagine that he is not doing his rehab.

It took longer than they first thought I suppose. Every injury is different. There's also a difference between a fully healed leg and a leg that's in game shape ready for the rigors of playing professional football. If he was a banker, he'd be fully healed for quite a while now.

[Tecno]

Are we 100% convinced the Argos don't move on from Kelly in 2026 by way of trade or release? Arbuckle is also a potential free agent bu the team could well be in full re-build.

Argos have all their eggs in the Kelly basket.  The only way they move on is if he can't recover to 80% of previous leg ability.  If that's the case he'll probably be useless to anyone/everyone (unless he just needs another year).  Kelly is more than capable of becoming a strict pocket passer, should that be required.

Kelly does for TOR what Alexander does for MTL and Rourke for BC.  Without them, they are under .500, with them they are top teams.  You don't just throw away a QB like that unless he's very damaged and hopeless.

With SSK & WPG possibly needing a QB in the next 0-3 years, there's going to be another huge shortage of quality in the CFL real soon now.

[Ridermania]

Argos release QB Cameron Dukes.

https://3downnation.com/2025/10/07/montreal-alouettes-release-veteran-qb-cameron-dukes-two-others/

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Als release QB Cameron Dukes.

https://3downnation.com/2025/10/07/montreal-alouettes-release-veteran-qb-cameron-dukes-two-others/

FYP Als.  That makes 2 teams that have dumped Dukes, he seemed to be a QB with good potential when he played  last season, but if both Dinwiddie and Maas pass on him that might indicate he's lacking in brainpower intangibles..