Throughout his Hall of Fame career, Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly was renowned for his physical toughness inside the pocket. And decades after hanging up his cleats, he has shown the same resilient spirit through his daunting medical challenges. Recently, the former signal-caller gave the fans an update on his health.

“Everything good. Thank God,” Kelly told Bob Koshinski on Nuff Said. “It’s just always something. But I feel pretty good.” Koshinski soon asked for updates around Kelly’s recent stroke.

Kelly had to spend a few days in the hospital back in May 2026. The stroke, even though it was a minor one, left Kelly with lingering impaired vision and hearing. But the 66-year-old star brushed it off as a “part of getting old.” But now, he admitted that he doesn’t really remember much of his hospital stay.

“I had it during Easter. I don’t even remember being in the hospital,” Kelly confessed. “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.” 

Unfortunately, the stroke represents just a small fraction of Kelly’s overarching medical battles. For years, he has fought against squamous cell carcinoma. Fans often notice a distinct change in how Kelly speaks today. And that’s a direct result of the extensive treatment and reconstruction of his upper jaw after cancer was found there.

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. “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 did that, it was amazing how much it drew me closer to the Lord, not knowing that I will ever get that close.”

But Kelly isn’t someone who gives up easily. He has been winning against cancer and strokes with a similar grit that he showcased on the gridiron. And the fans certainly want him to keep on winning.