VAUGHAN, Ontario – Chad Kelly returned to the Toronto Argonauts on Sunday after the quarterback was reinstated by the Canadian Football League.

Kelly, who was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player last year, was suspended for Toronto’s two tryouts and the first nine games of the regular season on May 7 for violating the CFL’s gender-based violence policy.

The league said in a statement Sunday that it had reinstated Kelly “on a last-chance basis, provided he continues to meet a number of ongoing conditions.” The league said the conditions are confidential and will not be disclosed, but they “reflect the need for him to continue to demonstrate his commitment to complying with league standards.”

The CFL’s suspension followed an independent investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength and conditioning coach against Kelly for sexual harassment and against the Argos for wrongful termination. The lawsuit was settled through mediation in June.

“This is an important step for Chad, who has taken full responsibility for his actions and represents just the beginning of his ongoing commitment to better himself and learn from this experience,” Argos general manager Mike Clemons said Sunday. “There remains much work to be done to strengthen our team culture and we are all committed to working together as a team to achieve this with Chad’s return.”

As part of his suspension, Kelly was required to undergo confidential evaluations by an independent expert and attend mandatory counseling sessions with a gender-based violence expert. Both the counseling sessions and evaluations had to be satisfactorily completed before the CFL could consider Kelly’s reinstatement, and the league reserved the right to modify his disciplinary actions.

Last weekend, the CFL announced it had received Kelly’s confidential psychological evaluation and would review the results with the help of experts before making a decision on Kelly’s reinstatement.

Kelly then had a conversation with CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie.

Toronto’s 39-25 home win over Calgary on August 9 was Toronto’s ninth game of the regular season.

Kelly, 30, has not played for Toronto since the loss to Montreal in last year’s East Division final. He stayed away from the team during his suspension and did not speak to the media on Sunday.

“I am sorry for my actions and the impact they have had on many people personally, the Toronto Argonauts and the CFL,” Kelly said in a statement from the Argos. “I realize this is just one step on the road to recovery, but it is an important step and I am committed to doing what is necessary to be a better teammate, colleague and person.”

Kelly took about 70% of the starting offensive snaps at Sunday’s practice, and coach Ryan Dinwiddie said he plans to increase Kelly’s workload on Monday. Toronto (5-4) hosts Saskatchewan (5-4-1) on Thursday night.

“It was nice to have him back,” Dinwiddie said after practice. “His teammates were excited to see him back in the building.”

Dinwiddie said it might be too much to ask for Kelly to compete Thursday with limited practice and no training camp, but he did leave open the possibility that Kelly will split workouts with Toronto’s other two quarterbacks, Cameron Dukes and veteran Nick Arbuckle.

Kelly played at Clemson, East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi College. He was selected as the last pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. The team released him in 2018 after he was arrested for trespassing.

Kelly led Toronto to a league-record 16-2 record last season, a franchise record. The Argos’ season ended with a 38-17 home loss to eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal in the East Division final.