Behind the scenes footage adds even more controversy to Bills owner’s comments following McDermott’s firing
Things are getting interesting in the Keon Coleman saga.
The Buffalo Bills held a press conference to discuss the departure of head coach Sean McDermott on Wednesday. It was an absolute trainwreck from owner Terry Pegula, throwing McDermott under the bus for the decision to draft wide receiver Keon Coleman. He claimed that McDermott was pushing hard for the selection and that general manager Brandon Beane went along with it.
There have been several old videos that have resurfaced surrounding the draft of Coleman, which makes it seem like that wasn’t the case, but was, in fact, Beane’s decision. This is all speculation at this point, and it doesn’t matter. But Pegula’s claim is under fire after the presser.
It doesn’t look good from an optics standpoint, with the PR team already struggling with how they handled McDermott’s departure. From a typo in his departure message to not sharing McDermott’s own farewell message, it’s just another example of a failure by the organization.
Brandon Beane under fire for drafting Keon Coleman in resurfaced clip
The first video in question is after Coleman ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at the combine, and shows Beane, along with some of the other coaching staff, discussing the decision to bring Coleman in.
“I’m glad he ran that,” Beane said. “It’ll help to get him.”
Perhaps an even bigger indictment was part of a video posted by the Buffalo Bills organization after the draft. The video has resurfaced, showing Beane praising Coleman and being excited about the potential selection of the wide receiver in the draft.
“When I went to bed that night, I was like it’s Keon unless someone just blows us away,” Beane said. “We didn’t feel like anything was attracted enough for us to pass up on Keon.”
“All things considered, we’re gonna get the guy we feel is the best fit,” Beane said.
Keon Coleman hasn’t been great in Buffalo
Coleman isn’t having a good week, and the presser should be a wake-up call for a player who’s struggled to get on the field due to disciplinary reasons. He was inactive for a portion of the game due to off-field issues for several games this season. Then, when he was on the field, there were instances of him being a healthy scratch. For all intents and purposes, he’s looking like a bust.
Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins said the league better get ready for Year 2 of Coleman, so let’s take a look at how the receiver performed. Outside of a stellar Week 1 performance, Coleman struggled to get anything going with quarterback Josh Allen. Coleman finished his season with 39 receptions for 404 yards and four touchdowns.
Coleman’s struggles are only part of the story. The bigger issue is an organization that appears willing to rewrite history to deflect blame. If Coleman turns it around in Year 3, it all becomes a footnote. But if he doesn’t, the comments from Pegula, along with the resurfaced clips of Beane, will stand as another example of Buffalo’s leadership failing to own its decision.
In a moment that called for clarity and accountability, the Bills instead added more confusion, and that’s what fans are reacting to the most.
Buffalo Bills News
Terry Pegula talks out of both sides of his mouth while trying to explain why he fired Sean McDermott
Terry Pegula did himself no favors with his comments about Sean McDermott’s firing.
