The CFL is finally catching up to the NFL in one key area, and it could shift how teams are built
Toronto Argonauts QB Chad Kelly is looking for a major raise this offseason, and it could change how teams construct their rosters.
This offseason, the focus is going to be on Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly to see what he plans to do. He is set to be a free agent this offseason, and isn’t just looking to get paid more than BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke; he wants to have a paradigm-shifting contract.
TSN’s Farhan Lalji and Dave Naylor discussed what Kelly is looking for in a new contract, and that number is in-line with NFL contracts.
“It could be a very large number by CFL standards,” said Lalji. “Our understanding is that Chad Kelly is looking for a deal that will pay him just north of $1 million per season. When you put that number into context, with, say, what NFL quarterbacks are making relative to the NFL salary cap, that 18 to 20 percent number is kind of in line with what this looks like, as far as the current CFL salary cap is concerned, and that salary cap could significantly rise when the new TV money comes in in the next couple of seasons.”
Chad Kelly’s contract ask could shift how CFL teams build out their rosters
We all know that quarterback is the most important position in the game of football, whether you are in the NFL, CFL, or NCAA. They touch the ball on every play, and control the flow of the game. It’s also evident how much better the Argonauts have been with Kelly than backup Nick Arbuckle, who started all of 2025 while Kelly healed from a fractured ankle suffered in the 2024 East Final.
If Kelly does get a massive contract worth over $1 million, say $1.1 million, that would represent 17.52% of the salary cap. In NFL terms, that would equal an average annual value of $52.9 million. Kelly is worth that money, but it would be a massive shift for the CFL.
Kelly’s current contract is $625k, which is slightly over 10% of the cap, with Rourke at $684.7k is at 10.9% of the current 6.28 million salary cap. As Lalji mentioned above, it’s likely that the salary cap significantly spikes with the massive television deal coming to the league starting in 2027.
Even with that fact coming into play, it’s still a major spike in how quarterbacks are paid. Bo Levi Mitchell and Vernon Adams III are both locked in at $500k or less next season, which is good for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders, respectively, so those teams won’t be impacted. However, if the top quarterbacks in the league are going to get that kind of money, it changes salary cap math for general managers.
When you look across the league, the top paid players aren’t making a lot of money. Only a couple of players are set to make $300k or more next season outside of quarterback, according to 3 Down Nation:
- BC Lions WR Keon Hatcher: $318,500
- Edmonton Elks OL Coulter Woondmansey: $300k
The Lions can easily pay Hatcher his salary because Rourke is on a reasonable contract. If Rourke signed an extension for 18-20% of the salary cap, it makes it much harder to construct a roster with higher-end talent.
The more top quarterbacks get paid, then other positions are going to significantly rise as well. It will create more challenges for general managers to build a competitive roster. It’s not going to make things impossible, but that extra 8-10% of the salary cap you are paying a quarterback could take away from having major upgrades at two positions.
If Kelly gets that big contract, how the franchise he signs with maneuvers the cap will be a fascinating watch, and developing young players will have a major emphasis.
