Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman faced widespread speculation this offseason that the team could cut ties with him, ending a short tenure that has been both promising and turbulent.
Instead, the Bills have continued to show faith in Coleman and handed him a major role to start the season.
The Bills released their initial depth chart this week, showing Coleman as a starter alongside Khalil Shakir and DJ Moore. SI.com’s Ralph Ventre noted that Coleman started the offseason fighting for positioning near the bottom of the depth chart, but proved himself over the course of training camp and the preseason.
“The competition for WR3 status began in the spring with veteran Josh Palmer and fourth-round rookie Skyler Bell battling Coleman, who was coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign,” Ventre wrote. “As it turns out, Coleman, a 2024 second-round draft pick, is listed as one of the Bills’ first-team wide receivers alongside reliable Khalil Shakir and new addition DJ Moore, who appears poised for a huge season.”
Palmer landed as Coleman’s backup, though the veteran is also expected to play an important role and showed promise during the preseason.
Keon Coleman Faced Warnings Heading Into Season
Coleman was in the crosshairs this offseason after team owner Terry Pegula singled him out at a press conference discussing the firing of head coach Sean McDermott. Pegula blamed McDermott for pushing to draft Coleman in 2024, leading many insiders to suggest the team could cut ties with the wide receiver under new head coach Joe Brady.
But Bills general manager Brandon Beane later gave Coleman a stronger endorsement, saying the team expected him to mature and move beyond the disciplinary issues that saw him suspended twice in 2025.
Reporter Dennis Waszak Jr. of The Associated Press suggested in the offseason that 2026 would be a make-or-break season for Coleman.
“The 23-year-old wide receiver has the talent to be a star for the Bills’ Josh Allen-led offense,” Waszak wrote. “But inconsistency and lapses in focus on and off the field have prevented Coleman from reaching that potential. He has been disciplined three times for being late to meetings.”
There are still some who question Coleman’s future in Buffalo, however. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox predicted the Bills could trade Coleman to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick.
Knox suggested that the 49ers have question marks at wide receiver after losing Jauan Jennings to free agency and Ricky Pearsall to a season-ending injury. He added that Coleman could use a fresh start after his rocky tenure in Buffalo.
“The 2024 33rd overall pick hasn’t developed into a reliable go-to receiver in Buffalo,” Knox wrote. “He wasn’t always even part of the game plan in 2025, though he does have a supporter in former offensive coordinator and current head coach Joe Brady. A trade could help create those opportunities while giving Coleman a new chance in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.”
Bills Announce Decision on WR Keon Coleman as Season Begins