Former NFL quarterback Chad Kelly has found success in the CFL after a number of legal issues ultimately led to his NFL career coming to an end. But unfortunately, it seems like his behavior hasn’t changed all that much in the CFL either.
Kelly, the nephew of former Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly, has had countless run ins with the law that date back to his dismissal from Clemson University back in 2014.
He would later go on to deal with first-degree trespassing charges in 2018 that quickly led to his NFL career flaming out. In the NFL, he had short stints with the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts.
Thus far in the CFL, Kelly has been able to show that he does have a ton of talent when it comes to strictly on-field performance. Last year, Kelly was named the 2023 CFL MVP with the Toronto Argonauts after racking up 31 total touchdowns on the year.
While his on-field performance has been great, it seems like he is still unable to get out of his own way when it comes to decisions off the field.
On Tuesday, Kelly was issued a nine-game suspension by the CFL for violating the league’s Gender-Based Violence policy. According to Pro Football Talk, this is in connection with a former Toronto Argonauts assistant strength coach issuing a complaint about Kelly allegedly making unwanted romantic advances toward her. When the advances were denied, he then used threatening language towards the coach.
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie issued a statement on the matter Tuesday, saying that Kelly’s suspension is a “direct result of his behavior”.
“Mr. Kelly’s suspension is the direct result of his behaviour,” wrote Ambrosie in the statement. “The addition of mandatory counselling focuses on his need for self-reflection and understanding of his actions. He must take full advantage of this opportunity for personal betterment in order to return to the CFL.”
Truthfully, you could argue that this suspension isn’t long enough given Kelly’s track record of reckless behavior throughout his personal life.
But regardless, this is yet another incident that Kelly has found himself involved with that again puts his football career in jeopardy, potentially for the last time…
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.