NFL legend Jim Kelly has cancer

jim kelly

Legendary NFL quarterback Jim Kelly, a member of the greatest quarterback class in the history of the league in 1983, will undergo surgery after being diagnosed with squamous-cell carcinoma (cancer) of the upper jaw bone.

According to the press release by his former team, the Buffalo Bills, the procedure will be performed on Friday, June 7, and the prognosis is classified as “very good.” The also stated that, fortunately for Kelly, the cancer is isolated in Kelly’s upper jaw and has not spread to other parts of his body.


Kelly was appreciative of the outpouring of fan support and noted that his wife and children would be by his side on the road to recovery. He said he is appreciative of any prayers going forward for himself and his family.


Kelly’s quote about his prospects for full recovery where shared on Bill’s Instagram page (seen above): “I plan to tackle this challenge head on, as we Kellys always do, with toughness, perseverance and faith.”

Drafted in 1983, football connoisseurs and pundits called that year’s quarterback draft the greatest of all time and included Hall of Fame record-breakers John Elway and Dan Marino. After a brief stint in the defunct USFL, for which he was the MVP, Kelly played for the Bills from 1986 through 1996 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.


Kelly is also beloved in Buffalo for leading this upstate New York franchise to four straight Super Bowl appearances from 1990 through 1993. He was elected to five Pro Bowls, made three All-Pro teams and remains the Bills’ leader in all-time passing yards with 35,467.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join our Newsletter

Sign up for Rolling Out news straight to your inbox.

Read more about:
Also read