Corey Coleman’s rocky NFL resume just took yet another bump.
The former New York Giants wide receiver has been suspended for the first six games of 2021, per Tuesday’s NFL transactions report. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero has reported that Coleman’s suspension stems from violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
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Coleman’s Disappointing Tenure in New York
The 15th-overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, Coleman has spent the past three seasons as a member of the Giants. Initially signed to the team’s practice squad in 2018, the former Biletnikoff Award winner (college football’s top wide receiver) was quickly bumped up to the active roster, appearing in eight games (one start). Used sparingly on offense that season, Coleman managed to make waves as a returner, averaging 26.0 yards per kick return, sixth-best in the NFL.
For his efforts, the Giants subsequently placed a $2.025 million tender on Coleman that offseason. Entering training camp, Coleman looked to be the favorite to lock down the team’s No. 3 wide receiver job. Unfortunately, a torn ACL suffered on the first day of on-field practice at training camp shattered any hopes of that coming to fruition. Coleman spent the entirety of 2019 on injured reserve.
Coleman battled back from his injury, emerging as a widely perceived standout from this past summer and expected to add some juice on the outside opposite Darius Slayton.
Giants.com’s Lance Medow went as far as to peg Coleman as New York’s “most intriguing player returning from injury in 2020,” and the potential answer at the fourth receiver spot.
Unfortunately, he’s been plagued by injuries throughout his career, but if he can stay healthy, he can solidify the fourth receiver spot and become an intriguing option within the offense. In his first two seasons in the league with the Browns, Coleman showed he’s capable of making plays and stretching the defense. Now it’s a matter of putting it all together and taking advantage of this opportunity.
The former Baylor Bear would go on to make the team’s initial 53-man roster. However, his stay did not last long. Coleman was cut the following day after New York claimed Ex-Browns wide receiver, Damion Ratley, as a way to improve the team’s speed at the position. This was potentially an indictment on Coleman’s return to full strength, considering at one point he boasted a blazing 4.37 40-yard dash.
Coleman would be brought back in late October as a practice squad addition, only to be once again let go approximately a month later. Coleman has remained on the open market ever since.
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Coleman Will Look to Latch on With His 5th NFL Team
Over his NFL career, Coleman has appeared in 27 games (19 starts). Over that span, the wideout has tallied 61 receptions, 789 receiving yards and five touchdowns. On top of his stints with the Giants and Browns, Coleman also had a cup of coffee with both the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots in 2018, prior to his arrival in New York.
Despite entering the league in 2016, Coleman has only registered stats in three seasons. His most prolific campaign came in his rookie year when the then-Cleveland Brown caught 33 passes for 413 yards and three touchdowns. He also chipped in with 10 yards rushing on two carries.
Coleman, 27, is currently a free agent and has not appeared in an NFL game since 2018.
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NFL Suspends Ex-Giant, Former 1st-Round Pick