Chad Kelly was once a promising young quarterback for the Denver Broncos, and he's trying to make a comeback in the CFL.
There’s something about being a quarterback for the Denver Broncos that makes it tough to let go when things go badly, and Chad Kelly is the latest example of this, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk via Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Last week it was Paxton Lynch’s quarterback comeback yarn that was profiled in the Denver Post, and the Gazette countered with Kelly’s story. It’s just as fascinating as that of Lynch, but in completely different ways.
Kelly spent parts of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Broncos, and after that he had two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He resurfaced in 2021 in the CFL, and Kelly, who is the nephew of Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly,led the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup win as a backup, according to Florio. The following year he was named the CFL’s most outstanding player.
In 2024, however, things went sideways in a big way. Kelly was suspended for the first nine games of the CFL season for his actions against a female strength coach, and when he returned a broken leg ended his season and kept him from playing in 2025.
Kelly had a string of incidents from early in his career that made him a seventh-round pick, Florio added, and after one incident with a woman he wound up pleading guilty to misdemeanor second-degree trespassing.
“I sought help right after,’’ Kelly told Tomasson. “There was counseling. There was mental health stuff. . . . I self-reflected and knew what I can and can’t do and the same with drinking. I definitely would do a lot of drinking and that’s not good. You’re a quarterback. You got to represent the team and everybody in the right light.”
While Kelly’s actions following these incidents are laudable, there will still be skepticism as he joins the Argonauts in training camp on May 2. It’s not clear what his role will be, but Florio implied that Kelly wants to earn a second chance in the NFL.
He might earn a tryout if he can continue his better behavior, especially given the relative lack if quarterback talent in the NFL these days. There are always backup roles available for players who can pick up an offense, run it and understand their place in the depth chart, but Kelly has a long way to go before he can get that kind of opportunity, assuming that’s what he wants going forward.