NFL: 30 of the biggest what-ifs in NFL history: 4. Jim Kelly wins every super bowl
We don’t always agree. In fact, when it comes to sports, agreeing on anything is practically a rarity. But, in terms of who is the greatest player of all time, more or less, we all have the same answer. With ten Super Bowl appearances, seven Super Bowl rings and a ridiculously long list of accomplishments, Tom Brady is the name most, if not all, will recite first.
In the case of Jim Kelly, he was a Hall of Famer, an all-time great but never has he been in consideration for that lofty status. Yet, in keeping up with our “what if” scenarios, Kelly could have easily entered the conversation.
For as great as Kelly was, he will always be remembered for leading the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances and losing every single one of them. In some instances, the Bills came up excruciatingly close such as their first appearance against the New York Giants in 1990 where the Bills lost by one point. In other examples, it was a flat-out beat down, case in point would be their third straight appearance where they took on the Denver Broncos and lost by a score of 52-17.
For a moment, let’s forget that Kelly came up short every time. Instead, let’s imagine a reality where he led the Bills to four straight Super Bowl wins. Pair those hypothetical wins with his 35,467 passing yards and 237 passing touchdowns and you’re looking at the greatest player of all time. Even with the bump in rings, Kelly’s resume wouldn’t quite compare to Brady’s but for a long time, everyone would’ve considered Kelly the greatest player ever.