Nick Arbuckle will start at quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts when they host the BC Lions on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field, stepping in for the injured Chad Kelly. Kelly, who has begun all 15 games this season for Toronto, is sidelined with a right-hand injury.
Arbuckle, 33, will mark his birthday by taking snaps in Toronto for the second consecutive season. Last year, his birthday start ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury sustained during a loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. This year, he aims for a different outcome as the Argonauts (9-6) pursue their fifth consecutive victory.
Kelly, 32, has led the Canadian Football League in multiple passing categories with 5,067 yards and 33 touchdowns, despite also throwing 24 interceptions. The Argonauts’ offense ranks near the top of the league, leading in passing yards per game (354.5), completions of 30 yards or more (33), and passing touchdowns (34), while sitting third overall in net offense (413 yards per game).
Head coach Mike Miller expressed confidence in the team’s ability to maintain offensive consistency with Arbuckle as the starter. “These guys rep all the time and our system is in place,” Miller said. “There might be a couple plays here or there that are already on the list that Nick might have a different preference for. Other than that, the system is in and we run our offense.”
Arbuckle brings considerable CFL experience to the field in his ninth season and third with Toronto. He appeared in 15 starts last year and has made 40 career starts. Notably, he filled in for an injured Kelly in the 2024 East Division final, leading Toronto to a 30-28 win over the Montreal Alouettes, and was named the Most Valuable Player of the Argonauts’ 41-24 Grey Cup victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The upcoming game marks the second meeting between Toronto and BC this season. The Argonauts seized a 26-12 road win in August, with Arbuckle stepping in during that game to replace Kelly, who had a neck injury at the time. On Saturday, the Lions will have Nathan Rourke as their starting quarterback, who did not play in the first matchup.
Arbuckle also has a long history facing BC’s defensive coordinator Mike Benevides, whom he described as “one of the most scheme-heavy defensive coordinators” in the league. Benevides often introduces new blitzes and coverages weekly, making game preparation challenging.
Toronto aims to improve to a perfect 5-0 record at home this season and has already secured a home playoff game. BC (8-6) enters on a seven-win streak out of eight games and holds second place in the West Division, narrowly ahead of the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.