Jim Kelly, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, tweeted news that he has completed chemotherapy treatment. The former USFL MVP and four-time Super Bowl quarterback announced his cancer diagnosis last June. This March, the cancer of the upper jaw and sinus area had returned, necessitating the current round of treatments.
The tweet shows a picture of a weakened Kelly holding up a sign thanking God and asking for prayers. Wife Jill Kelly appears on the side of the retired quarterback’s hospital bed offering encouragement. A caption reads: “Jim is DONE with chemotherapy! 4 more radiation treatments to go!”
Buffalo Bills fans have endured a rough stretch. Ralph Wilson Jr., the owner for the team’s entire history, died in March. An expected sale of the team has sparked rumors of a relocation to Toronto, Los Angeles, or some other place not named Buffalo. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell criticized the franchise’s forty-year-old stadium, named for their deceased owner, as antiquated and in need of a replacement for the team to remain in Western New York. The team, which sent two first round picks to move up a few spots in this year’s draft to grab receiver Sammy Watkins, hasn’t reached the playoffs since the Music City Miracle in 2000.
The sight of one of the franchise’s most familiar faces rallying in his fight against cancer surely provides a positive sight for a fan base that has seen too many negative ones as of late.