Buffalo Bills franchise icon and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly will undergo more surgery as he continues to battle cancer, his wife Jill announced on Thursday.
Jill added that they are hoping he will be back home after the weekend. Kelly has been battling the condition since 2013, when cancer was discovered in his upper jaw. He's needed multiple surgeries while fighting against the cancer, which has come and gone over the last couple of years.
Sadly, the Kellys lost their eight-year-old son in 2005, when Hunter succumbed to a disease in his nervous system. Jim's father, Joe, passed away last August, having lived in a hospice during his final years. With enough tragedy in the family, the NFL world is with Jim as he tries to fight this battle with cancer.
Following the folding of the USFL, Kelly joined the Bills in 1986, and quickly grew into one of the game's elite pocket passers. Kelly ran the iconic 'no-huddle offense' with Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas - leading the team to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the '90s.
The Bills lost all four of those Super Bowls, but Kelly's career in the NFL was truly something special. As the league transitioned to a more pass-happy league, Kelly became one of the best all-around signal-callers the came had ever seen.
The five-time Pro Bowler - who was inducted into Canton back in 2002 - is often spotted at Buffalo home games. The franchise simply hasn't been able to find a suitable replacement since Kelly retired after the 1996 season.
Kelly had an incredible career in the NFL, and he's already defied odds by fighting oral cancer for five years - after being told he had a 10 percent chance of surviving. Let's hope the cancer goes away soon, and that Kelly can return to full health soon.