Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly revealed Tuesday that he was hospitalized this spring after suffering a stroke, adding another health scare to the Hall of Fame quarterback’s long and very public medical battles.
Kelly, 66, shared the news while speaking with reporters in Orchard Park, New York, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Bills’ new Highmark Stadium.
‘I had a little setback about a month and a half ago,’ he said. ‘But right now, I feel good. Eyesight’s not great. My hearing still sucks, but that’s part of life.’
The former Bills star said recent medical tests came back clean.
Kelly said recent tests were clean. ‘Everything’s good. All good,’ he added.
Kelly, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, has battled major health problems for years, including multiple cancer diagnoses.
The five-time Pro Bowler has been diagnosed with cancer four times and underwent surgeries and chemotherapy in 2013, 2014 and 2018 while fighting different forms of the disease.
Despite the recent stroke, Kelly sounded upbeat as he looked ahead to the Bills’ first game in their new stadium.
#Bills legend Jim Kelly disclosed he had a stroke recently, but is “all good” now. (@salmaiorana on the questions)#BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/Pxg94zaPTD
— Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) June 24, 2026
Buffalo is set to host the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17 in what Kelly expects to be a massive moment for the franchise and its famously rowdy fan base.
‘It’s going to be special, not only for the players, but imagine the fans in there, how crazy and wild and loud they’re going to get,’ Kelly said.
‘And that’s what I’m looking forward to. I want to see how loud this stadium can get. And from what I´ve been told, it’s going to be unbelievable, but I don’t expect anything less.’
Kelly was Buffalo’s franchise quarterback from 1986 to 1996 and remains one of the most beloved figures in Western New York sports history.
He led the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, though Buffalo famously lost all four.
Nearly three decades after retiring from the NFL, Kelly still lives in the Western New York area and remains closely connected to the team and its fans.
During his regular-season career with the Bills, Kelly appeared in 160 games, throwing for 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns.
He also played in 17 postseason games for Buffalo, going 9-8 while completing 322 of 545 passes for 3,863 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Kelly still ranks second on the NFL’s all-time list for most yards gained per completion in a single game, with 44, a mark he posted in 1995 against the Carolina Panthers.
For Bills fans, Kelly’s latest update was another reminder of the toughness that defined his playing career and his life after football.
Even after a stroke, cancer battles and years of setbacks, the Hall of Famer is still talking about recovery, football and hearing that new stadium roar.
