HOF QB Kelly to receive chemo, radiation for cancer

Instead of surgery, Jim Kelly will begin chemotherapy and radiation treatments. (USATSI) More NFL offseason: Mock Drafts | Prospect Rankings | Pro days | Top free agents

Last week, a day before former Bills quarterback and Hall of Famer Jim Kelly was scheduled to have surgery to remove the cancer that he had fought off last year, his wife, Jill, wrote that the surgery had been canceled because "the cancer is in areas that surgery cannot successfully eradicate."

On Tuesday, Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, where Kelly is getting treatment, released this statement, via BuffaloBills.com:

"Kelly will start chemotherapy and radiation treatments targeting cancer cells in his maxillary sinus and adjacent tissues next week," Peter D. Costantino, MD, executive director of Lenox Hill Hospital's New York Head & Neck Institute, reported today.

"At the conclusion of chemotherapy and radiation, we will wait two-to-three months to determine the status of his cancer before deciding if surgery will be necessary," said Dr. Costantino.

Because Kelly hasn't previously been treated with chemotherapy or radiation, Dr. Costantino is confident that this treatment regimen has a good chance of successfully impacting the cancer.

"As I have stated previously, Jim Kelly's condition remains very treatable and potentially curable,” he said. “Even if chemotherapy and radiation are not successful in eradicating the cancer, his skull-base tumor remains operable."

Over the weekend, Peter King of TheMMQB.com's spoke with Kelly, who was lying in a hospital bed.

“There is no way I'd be here without my faith,” Kelly said. “It's been such a roller coaster. So many things. The Super Bowl losses, the fabulous career, my son born sick, making the Hall of Fame, my son dying, two plates and 10 screws in my back after major surgery, one plate and six screws in my neck after another surgery, a double hernia, the cancer, surgery on my jaw, the cancer coming back, now what I'm facing."

Meanwhile, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming. After King read 15-20 get-well tweets to Kelly, the Hall of Famer offered this: “Humbling. Humbling. I had no idea. I mean, I don't do Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, whatever. But they tell me about it. There's a lot of ‘Get well, Jim Kelly,' out there, and I am so appreciative of that. I really don't know what to say.”

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WR Britt to the Rams on one year deal



According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the St. Louis Rams have added another wide receiver to the arsenal of quarterback Sam Bradford. Kenny Britt was signed Monday to a one year deal worth a reported $1.4 million, with $550,000 guaranteed.The 25 year-old, former first round draft pick has spent his first six seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He played in 12 games in 2013, catching only 11 balls for 96 yards.



Britt has never really lived up to expectations that come with being a first round draft pick. His career high in receptions is 45 and he's never eclipsed 800 yards in a season. His best season was 2010, when he caught 42 balls for 775 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games. That was during his second season and had many experts believing his third year was going to be a breakout year. The 2011 season started off proving the experts right. Britt had 14 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns after two games and had Music City begging for Britt. In Week 3, Britt tore his ACL and MCL, and has never been the same.That's the pessimist's view.The optimist's view is this: Britt is still only 25 years old and he's headed to St. Louis, where his head coach will be Jeff Fisher, who was also his head coach during his best season in 2010. He'll have one of the most promising, dynamic young wide receivers in the league on the other side in Tavon Austin. Britt is a 6'3", 225 lb wide receiver. That is something that any quarterback could grow to enjoy having, especially in the red zone. Speaking of quarterbacks, Sam Bradford is a pretty good one. He was enjoying the best year of his career in 2013 until tearing his ACL in week 7. He was on pace for 3,800 yards, 32 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions. So, with all that in mind, it's possible that Britt could see a resurrection in his career in St. Louis.I expect that. I see Britt as a WR2 with upside. Talent doesn't just disappear. If the commitment is there, a 25 year-old wide receiver should be able to reach any success that he's had in the past. I like what the Rams offense is building, and expect Bradford to have a huge year in 2014. WIth Britt and Austin at WR, and Zac Stacy at RB, expect the Rams to have several viable fantasy options this coming season.