The Toronto Argonauts have released Rasheed Bailey, a seasoned receiver.

The six-foot-one, 217-pound native of Philadelphia, Pa., started the club’s first six games of the season, recording 24 receptions for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He joined the organization as a free agent this past offseason.

The 30-year-old played the first four seasons of his CFL career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, winning Grey Cups in 2019 and 2021. He caught 180 passes for 2,072 yards and 20 touchdowns in 54 regular-season games with the team.

The Argonauts have also released defensive lineman Jay Person and defensive back Amani Dennis.

The Toronto Argonauts (3-3) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-5) on Saturday, July 27 at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Interesting Update On CFL Suspension Of Chad Kelly

The Toronto Argonauts are eagerly awaiting word from the Canadian Football League on whether star quarterback Chad Kelly will be permitted to return from suspension in Week 12.

“We’re waiting to hear from the league, and I think we’re supposed to get some news today,” head coach Ryan Dinwiddie said on TSN 1050’s First Up on Thursday morning. “I believe he has one more evaluation. He is going through his classes. I believe he has two tasks to complete before he can be certified, therefore he’s working on them.”

Kelly was suspended for at least nine games by the CFL after a third-party investigation determined he had “unequivocally violated” the league’s gender-based violence policy. The sentence was imposed after a former Argonauts strength and conditioning coach filed a complaint with the Ontario Superior Court in February, claiming Kelly “repeatedly sought to initiate romantic connections” with her during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

To be restored by the three-down league, the six-foot-two, 216-pound passer must undertake required counselling sessions led by a gender-based violence specialist, as well as an assessment from an independent expert. If he does not complete the sessions and assessments to the CFL’s satisfaction, his discipline may be amended.

While Toronto has no control over Kelly’s return date, the team has stated unequivocally that he will be their starting quarterback if he returns. That requires the 30-year-old pivot to return to practice before his suspension expires, which he has not done since voluntarily withdrawing from training camp in May.

“I assume the league would allow him to practice before his suspension is removed. In terms of player safety, the youngster has to get out there and start playing; you can’t expect him to come back the first week and play,” Dinwiddie said.

“Even if we give him a few weeks of practice time, he will be doing more practice roster and scout team work. We need to get the other men ready to play, but let’s get him out there and accustomed to it again. I believe it is more of a player safety issue. “We need to get him on the practice field before we play him.”

According to the collective labor agreement, the team has discretion over whether a suspended player can attend practice. However, the optics of Kelly’s alleged infractions make it a more difficult issue to resolve, and it is unknown whether external pressure from the league influenced his decision to return home after his presence at rookie camp provoked outrage from numerous female CFL personnel.

The case against Kelly and the Argonauts was settled in June to everyone’s satisfaction, and none of the charges were ever proven in court. However, an 87-page investigation commissioned by the CFL from Saskatchewan-based business Buckingham Security Services Ltd. confirmed three of the six allegations made against the quarterback, including “sexual harassment as defined by the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.”

Prior to the settlement, Kelly denied making “any romantic or sexual overtures” to the plaintiff, including workplace sexual harassment. He dismissed the allegations as “spurious” and accused the plaintiff of launching the complaint solely to draw public attention to what was “otherwise a very routine termination situation.”

The Argonauts stated that they had “no knowledge” of Kelly’s actions that violated the league’s gender-based violence policy or the Ontario Human Rights Code. The organization maintained that its interactions with the plaintiff were “all times fair, reasonable, lawful, and undertaken in good faith,” however general manager Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons eventually accepted responsibility for the alleged mishandling of the harassment charges.

Kelly last saw the field on November 11, 2023, the same week that several key accusations in the complaint were claimed to have occurred. He threw four interceptions and fumbled one in a stunning upset loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final, claiming to have sustained a concussion during the game.

While Kelly has not practiced with the team since his playoff loss, Dinwiddie admitted for the first time that Kelly has not been completely absent from the Argos’ facilities this season.

“He has been around. He’s currently in Buffalo and travels back and forth from New York; he works with a trainer down there. “He’s been trying to stay involved by watching the film from home and coming by every now and then to see the guys and maybe jump into a meeting or something,” the coach added.

“We are not going to completely force him out of the building; he is still a member of the team, but it is difficult for him to be around knowing he is not going to play. Hopefully, we’ll get him back here in the next week or two, at least on the practice field, before his suspension is removed and he’s eligible to play.”

Kelly joined the Argos for the 2022 season, coming off the bench to help the team win the 109th Grey Cup. He took over as starter last year and compiled a 15-1 win-loss record, throwing for 4,123 yards with 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while running the ball 41 times for 248 yards and eight scores on his way to being voted the league’s most outstanding player.

Cameron Dukes, the backup quarterback, has completed 116-of-160 passes for 1,184 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions while rushing for 198 yards and two scores in six games, going 3-3 as a starter. However, the second-year pivot has been yanked in all three of the team’s losses, most recently giving way to Nick Arbuckle in the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ surprise loss on Saturday.

“We believe Cam can keep the boat afloat, but we’re not satisfied with (our record). We’re actually extremely frustrated with where we’re at,” Dinwiddie said, adding that he won’t settle on his starting quarterback until at least Friday.

“I’ll probably play both of them, and we’ll take it from there. We all believe in Cam, and I still do, but Nick is someone I feel comfortable with. I’ve won a few games with him and have known him for a long time. Nick stepped in there and did an excellent job of taking the ball out of his hands. He’s been in the system a little longer and has seen more football than Cam, but Cam is still a terrific player.

It will all be in the interest of treading water until Kelly can be re-inserted into the lineup, which may happen as early as Thursday, August 22 against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Argonauts (3-3) will next play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-4) at BMO Field on Saturday, July 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT.