Buffalo Rumblings
Could Keon Coleman still rewrite his story in Buffalo, or has the ink already dried on a narrative too many fans are eager to file away?
For much of the 2025 season, it’s felt like the Buffalo Bills were quietly answering that question themselves. Coleman, now in his second year, was a healthy inactive in Weeks 11, 12, 16, and 17. For a young wide receiver trying to establish trust, availability matters. So does accountability, and Coleman’s track record with team discipline has been impossible to ignore. Especially, since the product on the field has been inconsistent and he’s been deemed “lazy” by some reporters and fans alike.
That pattern began early. As a rookie in Week 3 of 2024, Coleman was benched for the first offensive series for being late. In 2025, history repeated itself when he missed the opening offensive possession against the New England Patriots in Week 5, again as a disciplinary measure from head coach Sean McDermott. By Week 11 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the situation escalated. Coleman was scratched for the entire game, marking his third documented instance of team discipline.
Coleman did not shy away from responsibility afterward. “I mean, I knew that,” Coleman said. “You can’t keep doing it. You can’t make those types of mistakes. You’re a professional.”
McDermott, meanwhile, struck a familiar tone. Disappointed, but not dismissive, saying:
“It is disappointing [that Coleman was in a situation to be disciplined again], but I still believe in the young man,” McDermott said. “We get to a certain point and I’ve gotta do something. I try and give the guys a kind of a strike approach. Hey, you get a chance to show your teammates that’s not really who you are. And then, when it happens again, then I step in. So, I believe he will learn from it. He takes it seriously, and he will move forward in a way of growing from this, and that’s the whole goal.”
That belief may not be empty words.
In Week 18, Coleman quietly reminded everyone why the Bills invested in him in the first place. He caught two passes for 49 yards, including a critical 37-yard reception, and hauled in a two-point conversion. The stat line wasn’t off the charts, but the moment was there. It was the kind of contribution that hints at unfinished business. Yes, the Bills sat their starters, and the Jets are… the Jets. But maybe some semblance of a future, but where… could it still be Buffalo?
Still, the road back is narrow.
The question becomes whether Buffalo is willing to revisit the offense from earlier this season, a point when Coleman’s snap count and target share were notably higher. Wide receiver Joshua Palmer continues to battle through an injury that’s limited his effectiveness, leaving the Bills with decisions to make as they evaluate their wide receiver rotation. If Buffalo rolls forward without Palmer does the group includes Brandin Cooks, Khalil Shakir, and Gabe Davis as the...
