Former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly couldn’t carve out a career in the NFL, but he seems to have found his calling in the CFL. On Thursday, the Toronto Argonauts agreed to a three-year extension worth $1.865 million with Kelly, making the quarterback the highest paid player in the CFL.
Kelly, the nephew of former Bills great Jim Kelly, put up great numbers in college, totaling 6,800 passing yards and 50 passing touchdowns in two years at Ole Miss after transferring from East MississippiCommunity College.
The Broncos selected Kelly in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft, but the quarterback failed to catch on. After stints in Denver and with the Colts, Kelly was out of the league following the 2021 season, having only played in one game in four years.
In 2022, Kelly was coaching at East Mississippi CC when he opted to sign a deal with the Argonauts. He spent most of the season as the backup quarterback, but he had to relieve starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson in the Grey Cup, helping lead Toronto to the win.
Kelly opened the 2023 season as the Argonauts’ starting quarterback, and in nine games this year he has 2,377 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
