What’s the old adage, “The most popular player is the backup quarterback?” Yeah, that’s it.

Chad Kelly isn’t technically the backup — he’s the Denver Broncos third-string quarterback — but Broncomaniacs went wild for him last night during the second half of their first preseason game, as he brought the team back to take their first lead.

“Kelly, Kelly, Kelly,” were the chants heard from the stands at Mile High Stadium as he was the best quarterback for the Broncos on Saturday. Broncos fans weren’t the only ones taking a notice, either, as Chad’s uncle Jim Kelly was watching, exclaiming, “HE CAN PLAY!”

Jim knows a thing or two about being a starting quarterback in the NFL, leading the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowls during the early 90s. He was so stellar, Jim Kelly was eventually inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Now, his nephew’s time to shine is upon us.

Paxton Lynch, the former first-round pick and the Broncos backup QB, not only struggled mightily on Saturday, it was a continuation of his looking lost on the field for the last two years. Kelly threw an ill-advised interception, yes, but he also was much more composed and confident in the pocket, tossing two touchdowns and repeatedly leading his receivers so they could gain more yards.

After joining Denver as “Mr. Irrelevant” and the last draft pick in 2017, Kelly sat out the entire season due to injury. His first football action in a Broncos jersey didn’t disappoint, and he should be the No. 2 quarterback going into this week. But, head coach Vance Joseph simply said, “We’ll see,” when asked if that would happen.

Stay tuned, as Chad “Swag” Kelly may be getting his chance to shine soon.