Chad Kelly is ballin’ the CFL and his contract could be lucrative if he keeps winning

Chad Kelly bet on himself when he signed with the Toronto Argonauts, and the nephew of NFL legend Jim Kelly continues to find a way to win.
Chad Kelly and the Argos are 3-0 right now and won the Grey Cup Championship with him as the QB last year. Kelly’s contract last year was a base salary of $67,000 plus an additional $12,000 for housing. As the primary backup for 17 games, he got an additional $8,500.
On top of that, because of Toronto’s championship run, Kelly received the following:
- $3,333.33 for playing 51%+ of the snaps in the final game of the season
- $3,400 for being on the active roster of the division champion
- $3,600 for being on the active roster of the East Division Final champion
- $16,000 for being on the active roster of the Grey Cup Champion
Kelly made $101,833.33 in 2022, not including the $12,000 for housing. That is a great contract in the CFL, but this year Kelly will make even more if he keeps betting on himself and winning.
In 2023, Chad Kelly’s base salary is $75,000 and he still receives the $12,000 for housing.
Kelly still receives $3,333.33 for each game in which he plays more than 51% of the snaps. Through three games he has made 9k plus in bonuses already.
From there, Kelly’s performance bonus benchmarks include:
- $1,500 if he throws for more than 1,000 yards
- $3,000 if he throws for more than 2,000 yards
- $5,000 if he throws for more than 3,000 yards
- $10,000 if he throws for more than 4,000 yards
- $15,000 if he throws for more than 5,000 yards
- $5,000 if he finishes top-three in CFL passing touchdowns
- $5,000 if he finishes top-three in CFL passing yards
- $2,500 if he is named an East Division All-Star
- $5,000 if he is named a CFL All-Star
- $15,000 if he is named the CFL’s most outstanding player
Chad Kelly is a smart man, and his contract is perfect for him. He is a confident kid that is sure if he bets on himself he can win. He can make a ton of money if he keeps winning as the starting QB for the Argos!

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