nuklz2594 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 In a perfect world, his son would have been healthy. How much longer would he have played for the Bills? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDO'Kearney Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 In a perfect world, his son would have been healthy. How much longer would he have played for the Bills? Although his son was born right after the Jacksonville playoff game, I don't think that was really why he retired. I remember him talking in interviews about how he felt differently and after one game, he was saying "Maybe it's time to put Todd in there" referring to Todd Collins. I can't picture him saying something like that in 1990. You can see his numbers declining gradually over the last five years of his career here:: Keep in mind the 1995-96 teams were playoff teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 I don't think he retired because of his family. He was 36 and had played 14 pro seasons and threw for 45,000 yards, most of them in Buffalo. His body had had enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOBILLS78 Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 He was beyond done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reed83HOF Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 IIRC he didnt want to go out like Favre is...He wanted to go when he could still play and not be a liability to his team. Plus with the advent of FA and the Bills losing Offensive Lineman left and right...he was getting banged up more often and frequently...I believe one of his knees was in rough shape...He was missing more time and I hated it when the fans would chant Collins Collins everytime Jimbo tossed an INT...I hope those idiots feel great now.... All of this started to come out after Marchibroda and the ravens were trying to get him to sign him.... For that I respect him...I am glad he didn't pull a Thurman (As much as I loved him...I loved it when he tore his knee up...playing for the Dolphags of all teams - ugh!!!) He went out still playing a decent game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHILL Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 In a perfect world, his son would have been healthy. How much longer would he have played for the Bills? OK.... He was done.... the concussions he sustained that we don't know about. The knee injuries he had when he came back early, the shoulder injury in the Pittsburgh game when he got shot up just to return to the game. Unfortunately, that wasn't a fumble in the Jacksonville play off game but it was called one and he didn't need to go out that way. He would have needed a great O-line to play much longer than he did. I remember marchibroda trying to get him to play for the Ravens. Jim Kelly was a complete warrior but he was done, he never cheated us as fans but he was done. He played the game right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fewell733 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 he had lost it by the end - his knees were shot and had lost a lot of his arm and was getting sluggish in his reads and making poor decisions with the football, or maybe it was just making decisions that his body couldn't execute. He took a look a more of a beating over the years than a guy like Marino, who I think played another 3 or 4 seasons. So maybe in a perfect world where he didn't take such a beating over the years, maybe 3 or 4 more seasons of gradually declining play. Could have been good enough though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I don't think he retired because of his family. He was 36 and had played 14 pro seasons and threw for 45,000 yards, most of them in Buffalo. His body had had enough. Amen .. unlike Faurve he kew it was time to walk away. He was a guy that took a pounding over the years. Keep in mind all of the post season games he played amounted to another year of playing when taken in total. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsNYC Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 A friend who was a photographer on the field said Kelly walked towards the wrong lockerroom after being knocked out of his last game. His days were done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDHILL Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 In a perfect world, his son would have been healthy. How much longer would he have played for the Bills? Something I didn't say in my previous reply... the very thing that made Kelly great, the thinking that he could always make the perfect pass or read and never having fear to fail were things that made him retire. His brain was telling him to do things his body couldn't do anymore. He could still read defenses he just couldn't react as fast. He was the type of guy that didn't know how to adjust his game as his skills eroded because his pride wouldn't let him. But that moxie is what made him Jimbo. It was his time to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tcali Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 In a perfect world, his son would have been healthy. How much longer would he have played for the Bills? what did his son have to do with it?? Jim was awful in the end. He could barely move his arm.He looked like the Tin Man. His Linebacker type play made him over the hill by 33 and a complete wreck by 36. He quit slightly too late IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kettle Creek Football Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 what did his son have to do with it?? Jim was awful in the end. He could barely move his arm.He looked like the Tin Man.His Linebacker type play made him over the hill by 33 and a complete wreck by 36. He quit slightly too late IMO. Why do we care now? He was my favourite Bill, but come on, it's been 13 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartshan-83 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Why do we care now? He was my favourite Bill, but come on, it's been 13 years! Todd Collins Billy Joe Hobert Alex Van Pelt Rob Johnson Doug Flutie Drew Bledsoe JP Losman Kelly Holcomb Trent Edwards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDD Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Amen .. unlike Faurve he kew it was time to walk away. He was a guy that took a pounding over the years. Keep in mind all of the post season games he played amounted to another year of playing when taken in total. Amen. Jimbo had enough pride to retire when he saw his skills diminish. He left the game with his dignity. Seeing guys like Vince Evans, Vinny Testaverde, and Steve DeBerg play well into their 40's was really an embarrasement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max997 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 He wanted to keep playing actually but the Bills wanted to go with Collins. I remember there was talk he was going to go to Baltimore and reunite with Ted Marchibroda but he ended up just retiring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDD Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Todd CollinsBilly Joe Hobert Alex Van Pelt Rob Johnson Doug Flutie Drew Bledsoe JP Losman Kelly Holcomb Trent Edwards How about Travis Brown and Craig Nall? They had all the physical tools... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 In a perfect world, his son would have been healthy. How much longer would he have played for the Bills? Jim Kelly officially announced his retirement on Jan. 31, 1997, 10 days after Marv Levy and John Butler informed him that he was no longer in the team's plans. (Source: Relentless.) Hunter Kelly was born on Feb. 14, 1997, and wasn't diagnosed with Krabbe leukodystrophy until June. Ergo, Hunter's illness had no effect on Jim's decision to retire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpcolosi Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 what did his son have to do with it?? Jim was awful in the end. He could barely move his arm.He looked like the Tin Man.His Linebacker type play made him over the hill by 33 and a complete wreck by 36. He quit slightly too late IMO. his big problem was not being in the NFL sooner. the USFL shortened what could have been a REALLY stellar NFL resume. but combine he was indeed terrific. no regrets. He did his best. Too bad Todd Collins ended up being decent 10 years later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpcolosi Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Todd CollinsBilly Joe Hobert Alex Van Pelt Rob Johnson Doug Flutie Drew Bledsoe JP Losman Kelly Holcomb Trent Edwards newsflash - its hard to find good NFL QBs. Esp with expansion and the increase in defensive speed. we have a GREAT, HOF qb. right now there are what, 2 of those in the game? Manning and Brady? And a couple of all stars - ala Boomer Esiason types? - Cutler, Hassleback, McNabb. Enjoy the fact our Franchise even HAS a HOF qb. and hope that Trent moves into All Pro status soon - had he not been hurt in Arizona we might speak differently of him... It clearly affected him all year long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartshan-83 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 newsflash - its hard to find good NFL QBs. Esp with expansion and the increase in defensive speed. we have a GREAT, HOF qb. right now there are what, 2 of those in the game? Manning and Brady? And a couple of all stars - ala Boomer Esiason types? - Cutler, Hassleback, McNabb. Enjoy the fact our Franchise even HAS a HOF qb. and hope that Trent moves into All Pro status soon - had he not been hurt in Arizona we might speak differently of him... It clearly affected him all year long Thanks for the "newsflash." My point was that it is understandable why some people pine away for Jim Kelly when we have spent the last 13 years with that list of QBs. No one expects to be served Filet Mignon two meals in a row, but we've spent the last decade eating at Applebee's (at best). Jimbo wasn't too great at the end. But he was the last consistently good QB we've had. No one else has managed to put together more than 1 decent season since...and even that list is short. And finally, I still have high hopes for Trent. No reason to toss him in that pile yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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