Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly will miss the team’s regular-season finale Friday against the Montreal Alouettes, head coach Mike Miller confirmed on Tuesday.
Kelly suffered a lower-body injury early in last Friday's game against the Ottawa Redblacks after he was brought down by Redblacks defensive lineman Luigi Vilain while scrambling outside the pocket.
The 33-year-old was working off to the side with trainers at practice on Tuesday.
Miller did not disclose who will get the start in place of Kelly. Nick Arbuckle, Tucker Horn and Luis Perez all took reps at practice.
With Kelly unavailable and his status still under monitoring, the Argos must also consider how to handle primary backup Nick Arbuckle’s workload.
Keeping Arbuckle game-ready in case he needs to step in during the playoffs is a priority, but the coaching staff must balance that with the importance of keeping him healthy.
To that end, Miller said the possibility of limiting Arbuckle’s involvement is receiving "strong consideration," with the goal of ensuring the quarterback is prepared if called upon in the post-season.
“I want to be able to do what Nick's comfortable with, where he needs to be to be able to go out and execute should he be called upon," Miller said.
Arbuckle acknowledged that the situation requires players to put the team’s long-term interests ahead of their individual desire to play.
“As a competitor, you always want to play,” Arbuckle said. “You practise all year long for opportunities to play, but at the end of the day, you also got to understand what's best for the team and what's best for the long run of success for the team.”
The situation could create opportunities for Horn and Perez to receive meaningful game action against Montreal, giving the Argos a chance to evaluate their quarterback depth.
Miller sees value in rewarding players who have worked hard throughout the season with an opportunity to demonstrate what they can do in a regular-season game.
“I've always believed if a guy's been working and has earned that time and we are able to do that, because these guys work really hard, they prepare, they push, and they're pros,” Miller said. “So where there's an opportunity to do that, I like to do that.”
For Tucker, the opportunity could be particularly significant given his limited playing time and the fact that he is in the final year of his contract.
The Argos, however, must ensure that any opportunity for their reserves does not come at the expense of their playoff preparation. Miller acknowledged the difficulty of managing playing time across the roster, particularly when players want to remain active and maintain their rhythm heading into the post-season.
“Yeah, we do have to keep one eye on next week,” Miller said. “But guys got to work too. So where's that balance?”
Miller said the team will continue assessing the situation throughout the week.
