New Argos head coach Miller expects veteran QB Chad Kelly to be his starter in 2026

Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly (12) throws a pass during first quarter CFL Eastern Conference Final football action Saturday, November 9, 2024 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

There’ll be no quarterback controversy in Mike Miller’s first season as the Toronto Argonauts head coach.

Miller, named Toronto’s 46th head coach last month, said Monday he expects veteran Chad Kelly under centre when the Argos open training camp in May. Kelly, 31, missed the entire 2025 campaign recovering from a serious leg injury suffered late in 2024.

“We have no reason to believe that (Kelly) will not be ready to go for training camp and be 100 per cent,” Miller said during a video call ahead of the CFL’s winter meetings in Calgary. “We’re all excited about moving forward, and we expect Chad to be healthy and ready to go.

“Yes, he’s our starter going into 2026.”

With Kelly, the CFL’s 2023 outstanding player, sidelined last year, veteran Nick Arbuckle made a career-high 15 starts for Toronto with Miller as quarterback coach. The ’24 Grey Cup MVP boasted a stellar 72.4 per cent completion average with 4,370 passing yards, 26 TDs, 15 interceptions and eight 300-yard games, but Toronto (5-13) finished third in the East Division to miss the playoffs.

Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie left after five seasons to become the Ottawa Redblacks head coach/GM. Miller was promoted to the Argos head job/offensive co-ordinator after four seasons as quarterback coach.

Kelly enjoyed a banner ’23 season. He was the league’s outstanding player after passing for 4,123 yards with 23 TDs and 12 interceptions while rushing 40 times for 248 yards and eight TDs in going 15-1 as the starter.

But Kelly has appeared in just nine regular-season games the last two years. He missed half of the ’24 campaign due to suspension before suffering a serious leg fracture versus Montreal in the East final.

Kelly has always gushed regarding the impact Miller has had on his CFL career. And with Miller and Kelly having worked together before, the head coach expects a seamless transition when the two formally return to the field.

“We talk all the time,” Miller said. “He’s constantly texting me about potential plays and concepts and things he’s seeing.

“I understand how hard it was for him, believe me, it killed him not to be out there trying to contribute, trying to help his teammates win, but he did all he could. The only thing we didn’t have was his availability during gameday, but he was very present in the postgame, at halftime, on the practice field when we did our installs and practice review. I don’t expect any differences when it comes to that.”

What will be different is where Toronto will call home to open the ’26 season. With the FIFA World Cup staging games at BMO Field, the Argos will play home games at Hamilton Stadium, Mosaic Stadium in Regina and Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium versus the host teams.

Toronto won’t play its first game at BMO Field until Aug. 8 versus the Calgary Stampeders. The Argos annually hold training camp at the University of Guelph and will call the venue home early during the regular season.

“Yes, that is the plan,” GM Mike Clemons said. “We don’t know exactly what that’s going to look like, but it seems as if they’re going to do their best to give us the things that we need in order to get ourselves ready for each week.

“There are different things they’re putting together, but it’s not done yet at this point.”

Miller said he’s comfortable with the idea of calling Guelph home.

“I don’t foresee any real problems,” he said. “They’ve got an excellent facility.

“The field is nice, the weight room facility is really good, the training facilities that we have for our trainers -- it’s really good, so we’re excited.”

Clemons has been Toronto’s GM since Oct. 8, 2019, when he replaced Jim Popp. The affable 60-year-old Florida native has served as an Argos player, head coach and executive since 1989 and said he took on the general manager’s role for a second time nearly seven years ago with the understanding it would last until the club was back on solid footing.

Toronto won Grey Cups in 2022 and ’24 but comes off a less-than-stellar 2025 season. However, it’s unclear how much longer Clemons will remain as Argos GM.

“I love the team, I love the game and all of that, but I also love my family and the (Pinball) Foundation and those things,” Clemons said. “At some point, I’ve requested sort of a concept of a transition, and (MLSE president Keith Pelley) has promised me a look at what that would be.

“But we’ll stay in this seat, I guess, as long as, you know, well, it’s indefinite, let’s say that. Being with the organization in a broader sense is what the idea is, so that doesn’t mean I won’t be with the team, it would probably mean that my time would be reduced with the team.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2026.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press