Did Chad Kelly play in NFL? CFL QB's football career explored

Chad Kelly is the reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player and enjoyed an accomplished college football career. Kelly has been around the game for a while and has achieved numerous accolades along the way.

In this article, we examine whether Kelly played in the National Football League and his impact as a professional football player.

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Chad Kelly's NFL career explored

Yes, Chad Kelly played in the NFL, even though it was for a brief period. Kelly was drafted by the Denver Broncos, who selected him with the last pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

That made Kelly the 2017 Mr. Irrelevant and set him up for an uphill battle to make the Broncos' final roster. Kelly made the roster, but injuries stopped him from featuring in a playing capacity in his rookie season.

Coming into his sophomore season, Kelly was declared fit and became the Broncos backup quarterback behind a recently acquired Case Keenum. In Week 6 of the 2018 season, Chad Kelly made his first and only NFL appearance, kneeling for a one-yard loss at the end of the second quarter.

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Chad Kelly's controversial pro football career

Kelly didn't get the chance to continue his quest for more minutes in the NFL, as he was released by the Broncos on Oct. 24, 2018. Denver released Kelly following his arrest on suspicion of criminal trespassing.

According to reports, Kelly allegedly entered a couple's home after attending teammate Von Miller's Halloween party. The quarterback later pled guilty to a misdemeanor second-degree criminal trespassing charge for the incident.

Kelly never played in the NFL again and signed a contract with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. Kelly's first season was spent as a backup to McLeod Bethel-Thompson before he took over the starting job ahead of the 2023 CFL season.

The former Broncos quarterback repaid the franchise's faith and led the team to the East final, winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award for 2023.

However, trouble caught up with Kelly again, as ahead of the 2024 CFL season, he's set to serve a minimum nine-game suspension. That comes after an investigation into allegations against him and his franchise by a former strength and conditioning coach.