Joe Brady Stands Firm Behind Keon Coleman as Bills Reset Under New Leadership
Orchard Park, N.Y. - The Buffalo Bills are turning the page, and they’re doing it with a clear message: new head coach Joe Brady believes in Keon Coleman, even if the path hasn’t been perfect.
Brady was officially introduced as the Bills’ new head coach in a packed press conference held inside the team’s weight room-a symbolic setting for a team that’s clearly ready to do the heavy lifting. The 36-year-old takes over after the departure of Sean McDermott, following another postseason disappointment, and he wasted no time laying out his vision for the future.
And part of that future, Brady made clear, includes second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman.
“I told Keon when I got hired, the best thing to happen to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach,” Brady said. “I was one of the ones who stood on the table for Keon Coleman, and I believe in Keon Coleman. Keon Coleman is going to be a Buffalo Bill.”
It was a bold statement, especially in light of recent comments from team owner Terry Pegula, who revealed that Coleman wasn’t general manager Brandon Beane’s top choice at No. 33 in the 2024 NFL Draft. According to Pegula, it was the coaching staff-Brady included-who pushed for Coleman.
That kind of behind-the-scenes draft room dynamic might raise eyebrows, but Brady didn’t flinch. To him, it’s not about who was highest on the board-it’s about making it work now.
“It may not end up working out with certain people,” Brady said. “I don’t believe that’s going to be the case with Keon, but if those things happen ...
I think it’s important to go back in your system and say hey, in some of those situations, where did we go wrong? ... The alignment means our vision of what we’re looking for is not changing, whether it worked or not.”
That word-alignment-was a key theme throughout the press conference. Beane opened by emphasizing that Brady’s vision will bring cohesion across the organization. And while the Coleman pick might’ve sparked questions about internal consensus, Brady made it clear: he’s not backing down from the player he vouched for.
Coleman’s rookie year was rocky, no doubt. He struggled with off-the-field discipline, showing up late to meetings and earning two separate benchings. But when the Bills’ receiver room was hit hard by injuries late in the season-losing Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers to ACL tears in the Wild Card round-Coleman got another shot.
He didn’t waste it.
In the Divisional Round against the Denver Broncos, with Buffalo’s season on the line, Coleman hauled in a crucial touchdown. It was his only catch of the game, but it came in a moment that mattered-fighting through traffic, diving for the goal line, and helping spark a comeback attempt after the Bills had dug themselves into a second-half hole.
Brady sees that play as a glimpse of what Coleman can become.
“It was a learning year for Keon,” Brady said. “I know it’s something that not everybody wants to go through, but we had to put the team first in a lot of the elements.
He’s going to continue to grow. The elements that we saw in the draft process, the confidence that I have in him and his ability, as long as he’s handling what he needs to do off the field, I have no doubt that he’s going to be successful on the field.”
And he’s not the only one in Coleman’s corner.
Josh Allen, speaking to reporters shortly before Brady, offered a strong vote of confidence in his young wideout. No hesitation, no hedging.
“He will come back from that,” Allen said of Coleman’s turbulent rookie season. “I’m not going to give up on (number) zero.
He’s got too much ability. We’re gonna work tirelessly, him and me, and so will everybody else in this building, to make sure that whenever we step foot on the field, that we’re gonna find ways to win football games.”
That’s the kind of leadership you want to see from your franchise quarterback-and it’s the kind of support a young player like Coleman needs if he’s going to take the next step.
There’s still work to be done. Brady acknowledged that some “hard conversations” may be necessary in the wake of Pegula’s comments. But there’s no mistaking the message coming out of One Bills Drive: Keon Coleman is part of the plan.
“His best days are ahead of him,” Brady said. “Keon is not done being a Buffalo Bill and we have a vision for him continuing to grow in this offense. I fully believe that.”
In a league that doesn’t wait long for players to prove themselves, Coleman still has time-and the support-to write his story. And with Brady now at the helm, the Bills are betting that story’s just getting started.