NFL All-Time QB Rank No. 31: Jim Kelly

Ranking the top 50 quarterbacks in NFL history…

31. Jim Kelly

Drafted 14th overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1983 out of the University of Miami, Jim Kelly initially spurned the NFL for the USFL’s Houston Gamblers, where he threw for over 9,800 yards and 83 touchdowns in two seasons, earning MVP honors in 1984.

Joining Buffalo in 1986 after the USFL folded, he quickly revitalized the franchise with his no-huddle “K-Gun” offense, leading the Bills to eight playoff appearances and four consecutive Super Bowl berths from 1990-1993. Though they lost all four, Kelly’s 1990 season saw him lead the NFL in passer rating (101.2) and earn First-Team All-Pro, while guiding Buffalo to a league-best 11-5 record.

He led the AFC in passing in 1991 and orchestrated numerous comebacks, including a record 32-point playoff rally against Houston in 1993. A five-time Pro Bowler, he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Year in 1991.

In 11 NFL seasons, all with Buffalo, Kelly completed 2,874 of 4,779 passes for 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns, with 175 interceptions and an 84.4 career rating, rewriting Bills records for nearly every passing category. He passed for over 3,000 yards eight times.

Kelly’s standout attributes were his cannon arm, toughness—playing through injuries like a separated shoulder—and leadership, often calling his own plays. He possessed a linebacker’s mentality, thriving in physical, high-scoring games.

Criticized for Super Bowl turnovers (seven interceptions across four games), his risk-taking nonetheless fueled one of the NFL’s greatest offenses.

Kelly was Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

But who ranks ahead of Kelly at No. 30 all-time?