Montreal Alouettes defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson (94) chases Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly (12) as he's flushed out of the pocket before throwing another interception during second half CFL Eastern Division final football action in Toronto, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. The Toronto Argonauts say their medical personnel didn't see any indication star quarterback Chad Kelly suffered a concussion during the East Division final. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts say their medical personnel didn’t see any indication star quarterback Chad Kelly suffered a head injury during the East Division final.
On Wednesday, Kelly suggested to 3DownNation – a website that covers Canadian football – that he suffered head trauma during Toronto’s 38-17 loss Saturday to the Montreal Alouettes.
In a statement Thursday, the Argos said not only did their medical personnel not see any indication of injury, they weren’t made aware of an injury during or after the contest.
“The football club was first made aware of Chad’s injury Wednesday night during a CFL awards media availability,” the Argos said. “The organization takes head injuries very seriously and all precautions are being taken with Chad and all our players to make sure they are healthy.”
Montreal registered nine turnovers in the game (four interceptions, four on downs, fumble recovery) with Kelly accounting for five (the picks and fumble). The Alouettes returned two interceptions for touchdowns.
It was an abrupt ending to a stellar season for both Kelly and the Argos. He was named a finalist for the CFL’s outstanding player award after winning 15-of-16 starts and passing for 4,123 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
With Kelly under centre, Toronto (16-2) tied the CFL record for most wins while establishing a franchise best.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2023.
