Personal life
Kelly resides in East Aurora, New York with his wife Jill and their two daughters.
Kelly devoted much of his post-football life to his son, Hunter James Kelly, who was diagnosed with globoid-cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease) shortly after his birth on February 14, 1997, which was Kelly's 37th birthday. Hunter died as a result of this disease on August 5, 2005, at the age of 8. To honor his son, Kelly established Hunter's Hope, a non-profit organization, in 1997. Kelly's advocacy on behalf of Krabbe patients has increased national awareness of the disease. He and his wife Jill founded the annual Hunter's Day of Hope, which is held on February 14, the birthdays of both Jim and Hunter Kelly. The Hunter James Kelly Research Institute was founded at the University at Buffalo in 2004, where neuroscientists and clinicians are studying myelin and its diseases. When Kelly was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, he dedicated his speech to Hunter. "It's been written that the trademark of my career was toughness," he said as he choked back tears. "The toughest person I ever met in my life was my hero, my soldier, my son, Hunter. I love you, buddy."
Two of Kelly's nephews, both the sons of his younger brother Kevin, have also played quarterback. Chad Kelly played college football at the NCAA Division I level for the Clemson Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels and took part in the 2017 NFL draft, in which he was selected last overall in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos, earning the title of "Mr. Irrelevant." He now plays for the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and won the Grey Cup with them in 2022. Casey Kelly, Chad's younger brother, played quarterback for Mallard Creek High School, and graduated in 2019. Casey Kelly also enrolled at Ole Miss, but chose to convert to tight end and play for the team as a walk-on. Casey Kelly then entered the transfer portal in 2023 to play for Oregon, then invoked a graduate transfer to play for East Carolina in 2024.
Kelly's father, Joe Kelly, died on August 21, 2017; his mother had died in 1996.
Kelly is a devout Christian, and has several business ventures, including Hall of Fame Life Promotions, a promotional company that is committed to donating a percentage of all of its proceeds to the Hunter's Hope Foundation. In 2011, Kelly founded Jim Kelly Inc. a company which produces the MyFanClip line of all-purpose clips which bear sports team logos and other insignia. MyFanClip has licensing agreements with the NFL, MLB, NHL and NASCAR. Proceeds also benefit the Hunter's Hope Foundation, his charity.
Kelly has hosted the annual Jim Kelly Celebrity Golf Classic golf tournament since 1987 to benefit his Kelly for Kids Foundation. A public charity function called StarGaze was held from 1992 to 1995 to complement the golf tournament.
Since 1988, Kelly has run a football camp for youths between the ages of eight and 18 at the Buffalo Bills facilities. It started with 325 campers in its first year, growing to over 500 campers a year. This camp provides teaching from experienced coaches and previous players from all over the country. Kelly also participates in various drills with the participants.
Kelly owned and operated Sport City Grill restaurant with the attached Network nightclub on the ground floor of Main Place Tower in Buffalo from 1993 to 1996.
On June 3, 2013, Kelly announced that he had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a form of cancer, in his upper jaw. He underwent surgery at a Buffalo hospital on June 7. Kelly reported to news outlets shortly after his surgery that the procedure was successful and he was now cancer-free. On March 14, 2014, after a follow-up test at the Erie County Medical Center, it was announced that Kelly's cancer had recurred, and that he would begin radiation and chemotherapy treatment. It was announced on August 20, 2014, that doctors could no longer find evidence of cancer.
On November 1, 2014, Kelly announced he had contracted MRSA within his bones, three months after being declared cancer-free. A few weeks after the announcement, Kelly said he was MRSA-free.
Kelly announced in March 2018 that the cancer had returned. He underwent surgery that month to remove the cancer and reconstruct his upper jaw. In June 2018, it was announced that Kelly would receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2018 ESPYs. In late June 2018, Kelly returned to a New York City hospital for additional surgery.
On January 18, 2019, Jim Kelly announced on Instagram that he was cancer free.
Kelly suffered a stroke in early May 2026; he had largely recovered by late June, when he noted that other than some aging-related issues with eyesight and hearing, he was in relatively good health.
