For Toronto Argonaut quarterback Chad Kelly, 2025 was a lost year. A serious leg injury suffered in the 2024 Eastern Final win in Montreal kept him on the sidelines for the entire ’25 season.
The 32-year-old Buffalo native is ready to go. He’s physically healthy and mentally in a good spot as he and his wife just welcomed Capri, their second child and a little sister for big brother Chance, who just turned one.
“Life is good, it definitely is,” Kelly told Argonauts.ca following Wednesday’s training camp session. “It feels good to be back and just having fun out there; being in the locker room and just having fun. Life is good when everything at home is special.”
One of the saddest things about training camp is seeing new dads having to be away from their families, though there’s one thing that may be a little easier for him being away from home right now.
“The sleeping part,” said Kelly, speaking relatable words to any new parent. “It’s a very strict regimen at home, very precise, when everybody’s eaten, when everything is going on, that’s something you have to adjust to. But I think having such a different type of love that you didn’t know you had is something really, really sweet.”
It’s a good space for Kelly, as his life at work is as happy as his life at home. Missing the entire season was devastating to someone who loves playing the sport as much as he does, but he’s back and hasn’t missed a beat in training camp. He’s not afraid to air out the football, has proven he still has elite arm strength, and hasn’t hesitated to run when a play breaks down or there are no open receivers.
“I feel great,” Kelly said when asked if he’s 100-percent healthy. “I think being out there and getting my feet under me and just being able to move in football mechanical ways that you can’t duplicate just lifting and working out. Being able to move in the pocket, sudden movements, they’re always different because nothing is the same up front.”
He was quick to point out that there was no hesitancy about getting back on the field because of the injury. As soon as doctors gave him the medical green light, he was ready to go.
While the doctors looked after Kelly’s physical recovery last season, he also had to deal with the mental frustration associated with not being able to get back on the field as quickly as he had hoped.
“You just try to re-evaluate everything that you’ve done in the past and how you can get better,” he explained. “But also taking a look at how people prepare and do certain things and the way they like to run things; just trying to adjust to the team and the players around you and trying to focus on getting better each and every day whether it’s on or off the field.”
He’ll be working with a somewhat familiar cast around him, though some of the players are new to a lineup that he was a part of on that fateful night in Montreal. He’s been anxious to show that he’s back, and the #12 on the field at training camp looks pretty much the same as he did before the injury.
ARGO NOTES: Wednesday morning marked one of the worst days on the calendar for coaches and the personnel department, the day they have to release 10 players to get down to the league’s 75-player limit – not including players from this year’s draft, or players from other CFL draft years that have not signed a pro contract before. The list of returnees who were let go: quarterback Jarret Doege, running back Spencer Brown, receivers Dorian Anderson and Ezechiel Tieide, offensive lineman Josh Donovan, defensive lineman Thiadric Hansen, and linebacker Jordan Herdman-Reed. Also released were receiver Michael Monios and linebacker Trey Rucker, while receiver Ajay Smith, another newcomer, was released later in the afternoon. In another roster move on Wednesday, the club added defensive back Alex Teubner from Boise State…The receiving corps was dominant in the first one-on-one drills of the day with all four quarterbacks making great throws. Tyler Kahmann continued a strong camp with nice catch on a deep ball from Kelly, followed by a long completion to Makai Polk on the next rep. Andre Miller has also been impressive, gaining confidence each day. He made a great sliding catch then made a Willie Maysesque over-the-shoulder catch for a 40-yard touchdown. Dave Ungerer III made a nice spinning catch on a Nick Arbuckle pass. Sam Hicks could prove to be a dangerous option out of the backfield, while Tristan Ready made a circus catch at the goal line on a deep ball that was exceptionally well defended by Anthony Wilson. It wasn’t all offence though, and Derek Slywka and Owen Goss both jumped routes for what would have been pick sixes…Offensively, Desmond Bland stepped in at right offensive tackle, while there was a steady rotation of running backs after the release of Brown, with powerful 242-pound downhill runner Quaylan Jones getting the first reps…In the first scrimmage session, 5’9” second-round draft pick Ethan John was tested by 6’3” Makai Polk on a deep ball over the middle. John stuck with the play and was able to knock the ball away…Perhaps the best move of the day was by defensive tackle Ralph Holley. During a later scrimmage session, he bounced off a double team and used a “club move” that was perfected by the late Reggie White. Holley knocked the opposing offensive lineman to the ground with the one-arm power move and proceeded toward the quarterback…It was the coldest day yet of the full camp with a steady wind that gusted at times. Rookie Punter Nathan Walker was kicking field goals and suffered the same fate that Sean Whyte – now with BC – experienced in a game at Guelph between his then Montreal Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who played at Alumni Stadium while Tim Horton’s Field was being built. As his FG attempt approached the top of uprights, a strong gust virtually stopped the football in mid-air and knocked it straight down to the ground. Whyte’s kick went viral, even being featured on Monday Night Football the next day…A reminder that on Sunday the Double Blue scrimmage will be held. The team will go through a series of plays and situations at full speed with a full CFL officiating crew on hand. Players will be on the Alumni Stadium field for warmups at about 2:45 for the pre-game warmup, with the scrimmage running from 3:45-4:45. Admission is free.