“The level of exhilaration on this day is only rivaled by the excitement Chad Kelly provides every time he takes the field!” That was Toronto Argonauts GM Michael (Pinball) Clemons on the day last summer that the Boatmen announced a three-year contract extension for the 29-year-old QB who hails from Buffalo.

The name Kelly and Buffalo are synonymous of course with Bills QB legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Jim, who happens to be Chad’s uncle. Chad proudly wears the No. 12 that we always remember with Jim. Joining the Argos in 2022, Chad came off the bench during the fourth quarter of the 109th Grey Cup Championship that year and methodically engineered the game-winning TD for the Boatmen’s 18th title. He then made 2023 – his first season as a CFL starter – a record-breaker, steering the Argos to a CFL-tying and club-best 16 wins (in 18 games). By winning 15 of the 16 starts he made, his 93.8 winning percentage was the finest in CFL history by a QB with at least 14 starts. He made the 2023 CFL All-Star Team and captured the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award.

Kelly completed 270 of 394 passes (68.5 per cent) for 4,123 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 248 yards and eight TDs (tied for second-most in the CFL) on 40 carries for an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Aside from endearing himself with teammates and Argos fans, Chad Kelly’s commitment to the GTA community is also scoring big time!