The Buffalo Bills fans are among the most relentless ones. But the ultimate example of perseverance in Western New York has to be their former quarterback, Jim Kelly. A firm believer that he had lived all nine cat lives and then some, he has been in a continuous battle with health issues. And the recent one came unexpectedly even for him.

Kelly was spending Easter weekend with his wife, Jill, his two daughters, and the family in his lodge when he suddenly had a severe headache. Thinking that it was his migraine acting up, he took some medicines and thought resting well should help. When things didn’t go back to normal, he got an MRI test. But he was again given more medicines, only for them to fail as well. One thing led to another, and the doctors realized that it was not a migraine but a stroke. Long story short, he was admitted to Buffalo General for a few days, and now he is back to give us an update.

“Everything good. Thank God,” Kelly told Bob Koshinski on Nuff Said. “It’s just always something. But I feel pretty good.

“I had it during Easter. I don’t even remember being in the hospital. I was in the hospital for four days, three nights. And I think it was even Buffalo General. But I don’t remember any of those times. I don’t remember hardly anything that happened. But you know what? She continued to pray, and I feel great right now.” 

In late June, when the Buffalo Bills were hosting the ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new Highmark Stadium, Kelly had revealed for the first time that he had suffered a stroke in May. While he was not at his best, Kelly still believed things were looking up for him:

“I had a little setback about a month and a half ago. Had a stroke,” Kelly told the reporters then. “But I spent a few days in the hospital, and right now I feel good. Eyesight’s not great. My hearing still sucks, but that’s part of life. It’s part of getting old. But I feel really good. Everything (scans) is good.”

After the doctors concluded that he had a stroke, Kelly’s reaction was an understandable: “Are you kidding me?”

Unfortunately for the 66-year-old, the stroke represents just a small fraction of his medical battles. But he continues to believe in what he had since his time at Buffalo Bills.

“When you’re going through tough times, it’s about your attitude,” Kelly had once said. “There are a lot of things that don’t go your way, but you’ve got to fight through them.”

Today, you can notice a distinct change in how Kelly speaks, walks, and behaves, as a direct result of all the hardships he has faced over the years. But he still continues to believe that never giving up is the only way to move forward.

Jim Kelly revealed how his backup QB once helped bring his faith back

For years, Kelly has fought various cancers, including a squamous cell carcinoma. He had to undergo extensive treatment and reconstruction of his upper jaw after cancer was found there. But that’s not all. The quarterback has encountered multiple battles with recurrence.

The situation became especially serious in 2014, when the cancer recurred in his maxillary sinus and adjacent tissues and was dangerously close to the carotid artery. The tumor’s location made surgery particularly risky, which was one reason doctors initially chose chemotherapy and radiation instead.

Reflecting on those dark days, Kelly previously opened up about how the harrowing experience fundamentally shifted his perspective and faith. It was a time when the doctors gave a pretty bad prognosis. 

“I thought about when I was in the hospital, and the doctors gave me less than 5% chance to live,” Kelly shared on The Immeasurably More podcast last month. “And everybody was coming because they thought that was the last time they were ever going to see me.

“To me, and how much that helped me seek the Lord. It really did. Even though at that time I was little, of course, you know, mentally thinking, why would God put me through all these things? And I know we’re going to talk probably a little bit more about that, but when Frank (Reich) did that, it was amazing how much it drew me closer to the Lord, not knowing that I will ever get that close.”

Over the years, Kelly has gone through his own medical conditions, the rare condition and death of his eight-year-old son Hunter, his wife’s cancer battle, and now a stroke. But Kelly isn’t someone who gives up easily.

He has been winning against his health setbacks with a similar grit that he once showcased on the gridiron. With just one wish to see the Bills play in the new Highmark Stadium for years and hopefully raise the Super Bowl Trophy as he watches with his grandson, Kelly continues to look at the positive end of the rope.

“As I say that I’ve already been through my nine cat lives, but now the good Lord has blessed me with a few more mulligans. So, I’m good with that. I’ll live with that one.”