A showdown between two of the best quarterbacks in the CFL has been broken up by a hand injury.
Toronto star Chad Kelly was listed as out when the Argonauts released their depth chart on Friday and will miss Saturday’s matchup against the visiting BC Lions.
Nick Arbuckle will start for Toronto. Kelly missed practice Tuesday due to the issue with his throwing hand, was limited the next two days and initially was listed as questionable before Friday’s developments.
Kelly leads the CFL with 5,067 yards, 33 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 15 games for Toronto (9-6), which already has clinched an East Division playoff berth.
Kelly and BC star quarterback Nathan Rourke share the league lead with 10 300-yard outings.
The absence all but rules out Kelly’s chance to produce a 6,000-yard passing season, something accomplished on just five occasions in CFL history. Kelly said that isn’t on his radar.
“I’m focused on winning,” Kelly said. “That’s all that matters to me.”
Kelly was 22-of-31 passing for 290 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions last week as the Argonauts notched a 30-28 road victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It was Toronto’s fourth consecutive victory.
Arbuckle was the Grey Cup MVP when the Argonauts won the 2024 championship. He also started 15 games in 2025 when Kelly was out with a serious leg injury.
BC’s Rourke is the reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player. He boasts a league-best 71.6 completion percentage among qualifying players and has 3,851 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 12 starts (one in which he was injured on the opening series).
The Lions (8-6) are fighting for a West Division playoff spot. They also are a hot team with seven wins in their past eight games after registering a 31-24 home win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week.
“We just want to continue to focus one game at a time and let the cards fall where they may,” Rourke said of the playoff aspirations. “You can’t ask for anything else when you control whether or not you get a playoff game or where you fall in the standings.”
Rourke completed 22 of 28 passes for 375 yards and four touchdowns against the Roughriders. Earlier this week, he was named CFL Player of the Month for September.
Rourke was sidelined with a left shoulder injury when BC lost 26-12 to the visiting Argonauts on July 25. Kelly passed for two touchdowns and a season-low 197 yards.
Toronto has won six of the past seven meetings.
–Field Level Media
