Bills wide receiver left baffled after owner publicly criticized him during explosive press conference: report
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They say no one moves as much as the Buffalo Bills, and wide receiver Keon Coleman found himself under the bus after owner Terry Pegula’s press conference on Wednesday.
Pegula and general manager Brandon Beane were asked about Coleman after a mediocre second season, and Pegula blamed the fired coaching staff for selecting the wide receiver in the NFL Draft two seasons ago.
“I will address the Keon situation,” Pegula said during the news conference after a question about Coleman was directed at Beane.
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman during an NFL divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on January 17, 2026. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
“The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but (Coleman) wasn’t their next option. Brandon was a team player and followed the advice of his coaching staff, who felt very strongly about the player.
“For some reason, he got angry and didn’t say a word about it. But I’m here to tell you the real story.”
Coleman, who was essentially labeled a draft bust by his owner, didn’t understand the comments but quickly dismissed them, according to The Athletic. The 22-year-old was taken aback, but then worked out and prepared for the upcoming season, according to the report.
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New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III (7) is assessed a pass interference penalty while breaking up a pass intended for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) during the second half at Gillette Stadium on Dec. 14, 2025. (Brian Fluharty/Image Images)
While Pegula attempted to absolve Beane for the selection of Coleman, the general manager stood by the fact that he ultimately made the selection.
“He was my choice. I made the choice,” Beane said during the news conference. “Terry’s point was that we could have had a different order of personnel versus coach, and I went that route. But ultimately, I’m not going to hand out a pick for a player that I don’t think we can be successful with.
“So don’t get him wrong. Keon Coleman is a young player who’s been here two years, he’s got two years left on his contract. It’s up to us to work with him and develop him.”
Coming into the season, the Bills were banking on Coleman to emerge as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver after failing to make any significant additions to the wide receiver space during the offseason.
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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman runs onto the field before a game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Image Images)
As a rookie in 2024, Coleman flashed star potential at times, catching 29 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. It looked like Coleman had made the leap in 2025, as he caught eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in Week 1.
However, that performance ended up being an anomaly for Coleman. He never had more than 50 yards in a game for the rest of the season, including the playoffs, and was healthy for four games.
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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for News Digital.