Keon Coleman arrived in Buffalo in a big yellow jacket.
Less than two years later, the Buffalo Bills owner threw him under a big yellow bus.
Somehow, the 22-year-old wide receiver became one of the main talking points at a press conference announcing the firing of head coach Sean McDermott in January.
Owner Terry Pegula divulged that the coaching staff “pushed” the Bills to draft Coleman and admitted he wasn’t general manager Brandon Beane’s preferred pick.
Pegula was trying to defend his general manager. In doing so, he made Coleman the face of a press conference that had nothing to do with him. Beane followed the 74-year-old owner’s unscripted comments by acknowledging Coleman has had “maturity issues.”
A week later, when the Bills introduced Joe Brady as their new head coach, other recent top draft picks such as Dalton Kincaid and Maxwell Hairston were in attendance. Coleman was not.
The Bills helped make Coleman a sideshow
When Coleman arrived in Buffalo, he was entertaining and relatable.
At his introductory press conference, he was captivated by Wegmans chocolate chip cookies. He told reporters he shops the clearance racks at Macy’s for winter coats. He joked about his love for Waffle House.
Bills fans loved it. The team leaned into it even more.
Buffalo’s social media accounts posted clips of Coleman’s NFL combine interviews that had the front office laughing. They shared videos of him pretending to make a WWE-style entrance when stepping out of a cryotherapy chamber at the team facility. They added video captions for his Southern accent.
Coleman was funny. But the Bills turned the face of their draft class into a class clown.
Coleman didn’t help himself
Coleman was disciplined by then-head coach Sean McDermott for being late to a meeting and was a healthy scratch for multiple games. Video of Coleman dancing on the sideline during pregame warmups after being benched was viewed by some as supportive and by others as tone-deaf.
Former Bills center Eric Wood pointed out on his podcast that it’s difficult to be late for team meetings when players typically arrive hours earlier for breakfast, workouts, treatment and film sessions.
Last offseason, Coleman acknowledged his rookie mistakes and arrived at training camp bigger and stronger. There were flashes — he had eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown in a Week 1 comeback win over the Ravens — but a sophomore breakthrough never happened. This offseason, he’s been quiet publicly.
Coleman finished the 2025 season with 38 catches for 404 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games.
The two most important voices in the building continue to believe in him.
Joe Brady and Josh Allen still believe in Coleman
Joe Brady made his stance clear after being named head coach.
“The best thing that happened to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach,” Brady said. “I was one of the ones that stood on the table for Keon Coleman , and I believe in Keon Coleman.”
Brady’s job as offensive coordinator was to game plan with the personnel that was available. McDermott didn’t always make Coleman available on game day, but Brady clearly liked getting him the ball when he was. Coleman had the second-most targets on the team with 59 and tied for second with four touchdown receptions despite multiple benchings.
Quarterback Josh Allen also still has faith in Coleman.
“I’m not going to give up on (Coleman),” Allen said. “He’s got too much ability.”
It leaves the Bills in an awkward position. Their owner publicly questioned how Coleman ended up in Buffalo, while their head coach and MVP quarterback are publicly backing him.
Here’s what the Bills should do.
Option 1: Keep him
This is the most realistic scenario.
Coleman is entering the third season of a four-year rookie contract and is only about six months older than multiple top wide receiver prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
His $2.7 million cap hit for 2026 ranks 66th among NFL wide receivers and will drop down the list after free agency and the draft.
Coleman still has size and athleticism, and the Bills’ receiver room has room for him.
Buffalo traded for D.J. Moore to pair with Khalil Shakir, but Coleman could compete for the No. 3 receiver role and remain a red-zone threat.
Keeping Coleman is a low-risk move with at least moderate upside.
Option 2: Trade him
A change of scenery sometimes benefits both sides, but Coleman’s trade value would likely be modest after two inconsistent seasons.
Recent young wide receiver trades offer some perspective.
Coleman’s value likely falls somewhere in the Day 3 range.
That’s not much incentive for Buffalo to move on from a 22-year-old player with upside.
Option 3: Cut him
This option is extremely unlikely.
Releasing Coleman before June 1 would leave the Bills with about $5.5 million in dead money.
Beane was promoted to add president of football operations to his title. He could distance himself from the Coleman pick entirely, but he didn’t do that when trying to clean up Pegula’s comments. Brady also acknowledged he was one of the coaches Pegula referenced as vouching for Coleman in the 2024 draft.
Coleman has flaws. But he’s 22 years old, inexpensive and the Bills don’t have proven receivers aside from Joshua Palmer behind him.
The Bills spent an offseason turning Coleman into a personality. They shouldn’t spend this one pretending they never wanted him.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: What should the Buffalo Bills do with Keon Coleman?
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
