Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman didn’t do himself any favors last season.

Coleman, a second round pick by the Bills in the 2024 NFL Draft, showed promise as a rookie, catching 29 passes for 556 yards and four touchdowns.

The former Florida State standout, however, took a step back in 2025, finishing with just 404 receiving yards.

Coleman’s drop in production came amid a big off-the-field controversy. In November, Coleman was late for a team meeting, which led to him being inactive for several games late in the season.

Former Bills star serving as a mentor to Keon Coleman

Former Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson is serving as a mentor to Coleman this offseason.

Johnson, a seventh round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, had an unremarkable first two seasons in Buffalo (12 receptions for 122 yards in 2008 and 2009) before breaking out for three straight 1,000-yard seasons.

That journey makes Johnson a perfect mentor for Coleman, who is looking to make a big jump in 2026.

Johnson told ESPN that when he first met with Coleman at the University of San Diego in May, he expected the young wide receiver to be “immature”.

But he was pleasantly surprised when that wasn’t the case.

“I thought he was gonna be immature,” said Johnson to ESPN. “I thought he was going to be, not a student of the game, just a very talented player with God-given skills. … But just right off the bat, … he was locked in, wanting to learn things, open to the constructive criticism. He was asking questions.”

Development isn’t linear, and just because Coleman went through some ups and downs during his first two seasons in Buffalo doesn’t mean he can’t still be an effective wide receiver in the NFL.

Johnson viewing Coleman as a “student of the game” is an encouraging sign that Coleman can still reach his potential. Coleman cares, he’s just made some mistakes. But those mistakes are in the past, and he can make everyone forget about them by breaking out in his third year.

Johnson’s comments about Coleman don’t guarantee anything for the former second round pick in 2026, but it should at least make Bills fans feel better about the possibility of Coleman being a key contributor this fall.