Back in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos decided to take a flier on Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly. The nephew of NFL legend Jim Kelly showed flashes of big-time potential, but off the field issues held him back.
After being drafted by the Broncos with the No. 253 overall pick in the seventh round, Kelly played in just one NFL game.
Kelly didn’t complete a single regular season pass during his career. He ran one time for a loss of one yard. Due to his off the field problems, he quickly found himself out of the NFL.
Now, the former Denver quarterback has spoken out about where his life is at now. He has sought out help for the problems that weighed him down years back.
“I sought help right after,’’ Kelly said. “There was counseling. There was mental health stuff. . . . I self-reflected and knew what I can and can’t do and the same with drinking. I definitely would do a lot of drinking and that’s not good. You’re a quarterback. You got to represent the team and everybody in the right light.”
Chad Kelly Hoping to Have a Chance to Return to NFL
With the quarterback getting his life off the field back on track, he’s still holding out hope that he can get another chance in the NFL.
“That’s always the goal,” Kelly said. “It’s always a goal of quarterbacks, whatever league you’re in, is to get to the top of the top. My talent speaks for itself.”
There is no denying the talent that Kelly possesses. That was never part of the issue.
Kelly had the talent to potentially develop into an NFL starter. He simply threw all of that talent away with his choices away from the game. Whether or not another opportunity will present itself remains to be seen, but he’s still working to come back.
Taking a Look at Chad Kelly’s College Career at Ole Miss
Kelly began his college career with the Clemson Tigers in 2013. He completed 10 of his 17 passes for 58 yards, while also running for 117 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
After that season, he chose to transfer to the Rebels. That is where his career took off.
During the 2015 season, Kelly threw for 4,042 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, while completing 65.1 percent of his passes. He also ran for 500 yards and 10 touchdowns during that year.
His 2016 season was strong, but not quite as good as 2016. Kelly completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 2,758 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. In addition, he ran for 332 yards and five more touchdowns.
Making an NFL comeback would be a bit of a surprise, but Kelly seems to have fixed the personal issues that ruined his professional career originally. Whether he gets back to the NFL or not, the hope is that he continues succeeding off the field.
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