Keon Coleman’s NFL journey was never going to be easy-early-round wideouts rarely get the luxury of patience. But the way things have unfolded in Buffalo? That’s not just tough; it’s unnecessarily messy.
Let’s rewind for a second. Coleman entered the league with the weight of expectation that comes with being a top-40 pick.
He was drafted to catch passes from Josh Allen-one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the game-and to help fill the void in a Bills receiving corps that’s been searching for long-term answers. But instead of being given the space to grow into that role, Coleman’s development has been tangled in front-office politics and public finger-pointing.
And now, it’s spilled into the spotlight in a way that doesn’t do anyone any favors.
This week, Bills owner Terry Pegula addressed the media following a major shake-up in the organization. Head coach Sean McDermott, who had been at the helm for a decade, was let go.
In a surprising twist, general manager Brandon Beane wasn’t just retained-he was promoted to President of Football Operations. That move alone raised eyebrows, but it was Pegula’s attempt to defend Beane that really set off alarm bells.
In an unprompted moment during the press conference, Pegula decided to clear the air on the team’s decision to draft Coleman. But instead of offering support for a young player still finding his footing, Pegula chose to air out internal decision-making in a way that put Coleman directly in the crosshairs.
“Can I interrupt? I’ll address the Keon [Coleman] situation,” Pegula said.
“The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying [Beane] wouldn’t have drafted him, but he wasn’t his next choice.
That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. He’s taken, for some reason, heat over it and not saying a word about it, but I’m here to tell the true story.”
Let’s be clear: that’s not something a player needs-or deserves-to hear from the top of the organization, especially not in a public forum. Coleman is still in just his second season.
He’s under contract for two more years. And while he hasn’t lit up the stat sheet yet, he’s shown flashes and has time to develop.
The last thing a young receiver needs is to have his own team’s owner essentially say, “He wasn’t our guy.”
That doesn’t just undermine Coleman’s confidence-it sends a message to the locker room that internal trust isn’t sacred. And in a league where culture and cohesion matter as much as talent, that’s a dangerous precedent.
What makes this even more complicated is the backdrop of the 2024 NFL Draft, where Coleman’s selection came just after the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to grab Xavier Worthy at No. 28.
The Bills moved down and took Coleman at the top of the second round. Ever since, the Worthy vs.
Coleman debate has been a talking point-especially among Chiefs fans, who’ve watched their team consistently come out on top in draft-day dealings with Buffalo, from the Patrick Mahomes trade in 2017 to the Trent McDuffie move in 2022.
For what it’s worth, Worthy hasn’t exactly exploded either. His second season was derailed almost immediately by an injury on the third play of the year.
He played through more issues after that, and like Coleman, his best football may still be ahead of him. But that hasn’t stopped the comparisons or the second-guessing, especially in light of Pegula’s comments.
What’s frustrating here is that this moment could’ve been a chance for Buffalo to rally behind a young player. Instead, it’s turned into an avoidable PR mess.
Pegula didn’t just open the curtain on draft-day dynamics-he threw his coaching staff and his player under the bus in the process. And for a team trying to reset and retool, that’s not exactly the kind of leadership that inspires confidence.
Now, the Bills are left with an awkward situation. Coleman is still very much part of the offensive picture, but how does a player move forward knowing the owner questioned his selection publicly? How does the next coaching staff evaluate him without that cloud hanging over the room?
Buffalo fans deserve better. So does Coleman. Because this league is hard enough without having to navigate unnecessary drama from your own building.