The Canadian Football League has placed Chad Kelly on a nine-game suspension. (Image credit: R.J. Johnston, Toronto Star/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
In 2023, Kelly, the nephew of ex-Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly, was named the CFL’s Most Valuable Player. He passed for 4,100 yards and threw 23 touchdowns.
According to the statement from the league, Kelly must undergo “private evaluations from a neutral specialist and participate in required counseling sessions led by a professional in the field of gender-based violence” before being allowed to rejoin the league.
At 30 years old, Kelly completed his time at Ole Miss, having previously begun at Clemson. He had a short stint with the Tigers before being let go in 2014. Following a season at East Mississippi Community College, Kelly moved to Ole Miss where he became the starting quarterback for the team in 2015 and 2016. Unfortunately, he sustained a knee injury in November of 2016, prematurely ending his season.
In 2017, the Denver Broncos selected Kelly as the final pick in the NFL Draft. However, he was released in 2018 due to his arrest for criminal trespassing at Von Miller’s party. He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and briefly played for the Colts in the 2019 season.
In her lawsuit, she alleges that Kelly and the Argonauts have violated the Human Rights Code of Ontario.
Allegations made by a woman against Kelly
After
After the breakfast incident, the coach informed Mujtaba and John Murphy, the assistant general manager for Argos, of Kelly’s actions. Murphy responded by saying that Kelly should not have been approached and that the coach had caused unnecessary trouble. The coach was scheduled to lead a yoga class later that day, but was asked to step down due to the possibility of Kelly being present. Mujtaba then instructed the coach to go home if Kelly did show up. Later, on November 10, 2023, the coach found out that Chad had made a threatening comment, indicating that she was lucky he didn’t physically harm her. The coach was informed that her contract would not be renewed on January 29.”
In 2023, Kelly returned to his professional playing career as he joined the Argonauts for his second season.
“Players are the ambassadors of our great game,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “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 that Mr. Kelly unequivocally violated the CFL’s gender-based violence policy.”
In February, the woman, who worked for the Argonauts from 2018 to January 2024, sued Kelly and the team for harassment and wrongful termination. Her lawsuit claims that Kelly made numerous romantic advances towards her.
According to allegations, during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Kelly repeatedly attempted to start romantic relationships with the coach by asking her out multiple times. Despite her polite refusals, Kelly persisted with his advances. In November 2023, things escalated when the coach was informed by another player, while on the team bus, that Kelly had publicly accused her of being romantically involved with another teammate. When the coach confronted Kelly privately about the accusations, he responded with aggression by yelling, cursing, and waving his hands. Later, while eating breakfast with her supervisor and others, Kelly allegedly yelled derogatory words at the coach and expressed a desire for her to be fired.
The Canadian Football League has suspended former Denver Broncos draft pick and Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly for a period of at least nine games.
Originally published by the Winnipeg Free Press.
The Canadian Football League released a statement on Tuesday stating that Kelly had breached the league’s policy against gender-based violence. This suspension follows a lawsuit filed earlier this year by a former assistant coach of the Toronto Argonauts, alleging that Kelly had engaged in harassment and fostered a negative work environment.
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