The Buffalo Bills may have never won a Super Bowl, but they still have some fantastic quarterbacks of the past and present, of course, with MVP-winning Josh Allen in the fold. For longtime followers of the Bills franchise, it can get frustrating when one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever rep the Bills is left off best-of rosters.
Sometimes, for whatever reason, players just don’t get the respect they deserve. Sometimes those players are just not very flashy, and other times, those players maybe just never got to the big game, so they aren’t lumped into the “greatest” category.
But, there’s more to being a fantastic quarterback than just winning the Super Bowl. Now, one great Bills quarterback who is constantly underrated is finally getting some attention.
Legendary Bills Quarterback Makes Roster of Best Ever in the NFL
Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports has put together a feature ranking the best quarterbacks in the NFL of all time. First of all, note that Allen didn’t make the cut. Only two active quarterbacks did, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Allen at least gets a mention, with DeArdo stating, “Only two active quarterbacks made the cut, but it’s safe to assume that Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson and Matthew Stafford, will each crack this list sometime in the near future. Eli Manning will probably crack the list one day as well, especially if he ever receives induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
One Bills quarterback, however, did make the cut: Jim Kelly. It’s heart-warming to see him get some recognition.
“Kelly led the Bills’ appropriately-named ‘K-Gun’ offense that appeared in four consecutive Super Bowls, an NFL record,” DeArdo notes. “One of 18 quarterbacks with 100 career wins, Kelly led the NFL in completion percentage and passer rating in 1990 and in touchdown passes in 1991. ”
Jim Kelly Comes In at No. 23
Kelly was listed as No. 23 on the tally out of 30 quarterbacks. While he could have been higher, it says a lot for him to be included on the list.
“The Bills had one of the most dangerous offenses in the league under Kelly where he had a star running back in Thurman Thomas and a go-to receiver in Andre Reed. Buffalo’s offense tired out defensive units and they won big in a lot of games,” notes Brandon Ray of Buffalo Lowdown in a Monday, July 7 feature. “The only reason why Kelly is this low on DeArdo’s list is because he doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring.”
Ray adds that “Even though the Bills have had some very bad times, they have also had a lot of fun seasons where Bills fans got to see Buffalo dominate in the regular season and cruise through the playoffs…up until the Super Bowl. Back in the early 90s, the Bills were the best team in the NFL as they went to four consecutive Super Bowls with an offense that was led by Jim Kelly.”
So, yes, it’s great to see Kelly get some respect. Now, it’s time for Allen to get that respect, too.
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