The Toronto Argonauts will be without franchise quarterback Chad Kelly when they take on the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.

The 31-year-old native of Buffalo, N.Y. suffered a fractured leg in last year’s East Final, which prevented him from playing in the Grey Cup. Though he was recently cleared for practice and was a limited participant this week, he will not dress for the team’s season-opener, as per Toronto’s injury report.

Kelly threw for 2,451 yards, 10 touchdowns, and eight interceptions last season after missing nine regular-season games due to suspension. He also rushed 48 times for 214 yards and five scores.

Nick Arbuckle will start in Kelly’s place after leading the team to an upset win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in last year’s championship game. The 31-year-old native of Oxnard, Ont. threw for 252 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in the victory to be named the contest’s Most Valuable Player.

The Argonauts have also ruled out Janarion Grant due to an ankle injury. The CFL’s reigning Most Outstanding Special Teams Player led the league in punt return yards (989), punt return average (14.8), and punt return touchdowns (three) in 2024. He also ranked second in kick return average (24.4), fourth in kick return yards (1,000), and returned one kickoff for a score.

The Argonauts (0-0) will visit the Montreal Alouettes (0-0) on Friday, June 6 with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. EDT.

The post Toronto Argonauts officially rule out Chad Kelly, Janarion Grant for Week 1 appeared first on 3DownNation.