Dinwiddie: QB Kelly 'fine', WR Gittens Jr. has bruised shoulder
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Following the Toronto Argonauts' 27-22 preseason loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday, head coach Ryan Dinwiddie provided injury updates Monday on quarterback Chad Kelly and Canadian wide receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr.
Penciled in as the game's starter, Kelly was pulled as he was experiencing soreness in his throwing elbow. Team doctors examined the 29-year-old's elbow and found nothing of concern.
Ben Holmes started the game in Kelly's absence and shared time with Bryan Scott and Cameron Dukes.
"He's fine," Dinwiddie said. "He could play through it, he just felt tightness and I didn't want to have it become a long-term thing potentially."
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Kelly appeared in 18 games last season, throwing for 297 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The product of Ole Miss added another 137 yards and six touchdowns rushing.
Kelly became the hero of the 109th Grey Cup as after then-starter McLeod Bethel-Thompson exited the fourth quarter with an injured thumb, Kelly quarterbacked the Boatmen to their first Grey Cup title since 2017.
The quarterback was not the lone Argonauts starter to suffer an injury Saturday as Gittens Jr. absorbed a tackle on the Argos' first offensive series and exited the game. He did not return.
"Kurleigh is going to be okay," said Dinwiddie. He's just got a bruised shoulder, so he'll be good to go. I probably won't play him this week, even though he's good. He'd be available if we need him, but we'll probably sit him for this game."
Argonauts communications manager Mike Hogan adds that Gittens did not practice on Monday at the University of Guelph.
The 25-year-old finished the 2022 campaign fifth in receptions (81), sixth in receiving yards (1,101), first in yards after the catch (483) and tied for seventh in touchdown receptions (5). He was the Argonauts' nominee for MOC for the second season in a row, was the East Division's nominee, and was named a CFL All-Star for the first time in his career.
Gittens was the runner-up for the MOC award, with BC Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke taking home the honour.
A native of Ottawa, Ont., Gittens led all Canadian receivers in yards and receptions and is only the fourth Canadian pass-catcher to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season in the last decade.
The 23rd overall pick by the Argonauts in 2019, Gittens has played in 44 regular season games for the club, hauling in 132 receptions for 1,716 yards and nine touchdowns.