Chad Kelly was suspended for nine games by the CFL's Toronto Argonauts for harassment

Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly, the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, has been suspended from the Canadian Football League for violating the league’s gender-based violence policy.

On Tuesday, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie announced that Kelly will be suspended for at least nine games in the upcoming 2024 season after a third-party investigation found that Kelly “clearly violated the league’s gender-based violence policy.” The CFL opened an investigation into Kelly in March, shortly after a former Argonaut coach claimed in a lawsuit that he was wrongfully fired after being harassed by Kelly.

Kelly, the CFL’s most outstanding player last season, also must undergo counseling sessions with a gender-based violence expert and confidential evaluations by an independent expert before being reinstated.

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“Mr. Kelly’s suspension is the direct result of his behavior,” Ambrosie said in a statement Tuesday. “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 improvement to return to the CFL.”

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According to the wrongful dismissal lawsuit obtained by The Canadian Press, a strength and conditioning coach accused Kelly of making “unwanted romantic advances” toward her that escalated into “instances of threatening language.” The former employee said her contract with the team was not renewed shortly after she informed team leadership about Kelly’s behavior.

“Players are the ambassadors of our great game,” Ambrosie added in a statement on Tuesday. “They are expected to be leaders in the locker room and role models in the community. It was important that we did our due diligence to properly review this.” This in-depth investigation found that Mr Kelly clearly breached the CFL’s gender-based violence policy.

The 2024 CFL regular season begins June 6 and will consist of 18 games, meaning Kelly will miss at least half of the season and all of the preseason during the suspension.

Kelly, who played college at Clemson (2012-2013), East Mississippi Community College (2014) and Ole Miss (2015-2016), was selected by the Denver Broncos as this year’s Mr. selected. Irrelevant. After a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts, Kelly signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts in February 2022 and helped the team win the Gray Cup that season. Kelly signed a three-year, $1.865 million contract in August 2023 to become the league’s highest-paid player.

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