TORONTO — Be it ever so humble, there really is no place like home for Chad Kelly and the Toronto Argonauts.
Toronto (3-4) comes off a bye week to host the Calgary Stampeders (4-4) at BMO Field on Thursday night. It will be the Argos’ first game this season at the venue, which hosted six World Cup matches.
That forced Toronto to practise at Alumni Stadium in Guelph, Ont., and play its first seven regular-season games on the road. However, the Argos were listed as the home team in three of them (40-34 win in Regina on June 26, 30-21 loss in Winnipeg on July 10 and 24-23 loss in Hamilton on July 18).
“It’s just amazing to be back out here,” Kelly said Wednesday following Toronto’s walk-through at BMO Field. “This is such a beautiful place to play.
“Obviously it gives us an advantage being on grass but also being with our fans when they get loud. It’s a special place to play at.”
The start will be Kelly’s first at BMO Field in over a year. He missed all of last season recovering from a leg injury suffered during the 2024 East Division final in Montreal.
Since then, Kelly and his wife, Theresa, have become parents of a son (born April 4, 2025) and infant daughter (born in May).
“It’s the first game that my kids get to come to and watch me play, so I’m excited,” said Kelly.
Canadian linebacker Cameron Judge will return after missing three games with a hamstring injury. Like Kelly, Judge is happy to be back at BMO Field.
“Just walking here this morning on my way to work, I had a smile on my face the whole time,” he said. “It’s just nice being back in familiar territory and back at home.
“We’ve had the three home games so far but getting some blue in the seats for a home game will be nice.”
Kelly, 32, returns under centre after suffering a neck injury in Toronto’s 26-12 road win over the B.C. Lions on July 25. The CFL’s outstanding player in 2023 has completed 162-of-230 passes (70.4 per cent) for 2,323 yards (third overall) with 17 touchdowns this season but also nine interceptions (tied for league lead).
Toronto leads the CFL in passing (365.1 yards per game) and is second in net offence (425.7) and TD passes (18).
Veteran Vernon Adams Jr. leads a Calgary offence that’s tops in offensive points per game (36.4), offensive TDs (34) and passing touchdowns (21). Adams not only leads CFL starters in touchdown tosses (21) but hasn’t thrown an interception this season.
In fact, he hasn’t been picked off in 295 straight pass attempts dating back to last year.
But Calgary can do much more than throw the ball. The Stampeders are ranked second in rushing (115.8 yards per game) and have the league’s second-leading runner in Dedrick Mills (628 yards, six-yard average).
“They’re a multi-attack team, and they’re going to provide challenges,” said Toronto head coach Mike Miller. “We’ve got to be able to be on the details and execute and, again, be able to do that physically.”
Calgary does come off a short week following a 44-20 win in Hamilton on Saturday night.
This also marks the second meeting this season between the two teams. Calgary defeated Toronto 58-36 at McMahon Stadium on July 2 as Adams threw for 405 yards and six TDs while running for another.
“You want to approach it next team up, but that last game does linger a little bit,” Judge said. “We didn’t play our best game pretty much in any of the three phases.
“Watching the film, you want to go out there and be better and get right. I think it could put a little fire under our butts but also it is the next game ahead so that should be all of the fire you really need.”
And Miller doesn’t want his players to be blinded by redemption.
“In the end, this has always been an emotional game,” he said. “Hey, they got the better of us last time but again hopefully we’ve grown from that experience and are able to apply it.
“But this is a good football team we’re playing. They’re well coached, they’ve got a lot of good talent, and we know we’re going to have to come out here ready to play to give ourselves a chance.”
Calgary is averaging a gaudy 42.8 points over its last six games and CFL-best 40.3 on the season.
Former Argo Dejon Brissett registered his first 100-yard receiving game with Calgary last week, recording six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown versus Hamilton.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2026.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
