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The 30 best quarterbacks in NFL history

By Randy Gurzi

Joe Montana #16, Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers prepares to throw a pass during the National Football Conference Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams on 14 January 1990 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, United States. The 49ers won the game 30 - 3. (Photo by Otto Gruele Jr/Allsport/Getty Images)
Joe Montana #16, Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers prepares to throw a pass during the National Football Conference Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams on 14 January 1990 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, United States. The 49ers won the game 30 - 3. (Photo by Otto Gruele Jr/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Buffalo Bills, Jim Kelly
Buffalo Bills, Jim Kelly. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart /Allsport /

21. Best NFL quarterbacks of all time: Jim Kelly

After being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 1983 NFL Draft, Jim Kelly ended up spurning the team and headed to the USFL instead. He was allowed to choose his team and went to the Houston Generals as he wanted to play in a dome and avoid the cold weather in Western New York.

An MVP of that league, Kelly ended up joining the Bills in 1986 and spent the next 11 seasons as their starting quarterback. He was the leader of one of the more exciting offenses of the time as the Bills employed a no-huddle, shotgun offense that kept defenses off balance.

During his time with Buffalo, Kelly was 101-59 and led them to four consecutive appearances in the Super Bowl. While they lost all four of those contests (all to NFC East teams), the run was still historic. Kelly might not have his ring but he did complete 60 percent of his passes for 35,467 yards with 237 touchdowns.

Recently, Kelly has been involved in a fight with cancer. He found himself free of the disease in 2014 but it returned in 2018. The good news is Kelly again posted in January of 2019 that he was cancer-free. A hero in Buffalo, the Hall of Famer received a ton of support from fans and proved to be one of the most beloved players to ever wear the Bills uniform.

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