Joe Brady makes it crystal clear how the Bills plan to handle Keon Coleman after a disastrous second season raised real questions
Keon Coleman has been front and center in the national media for all the wrong reasons.
The Buffalo Bills and wide receiver Keon Coleman have had a strained relationship throughout the season, even bleeding into the offseason. For a player who was supposed to put the league on notice, he left much to be desired with his performance on and off the field.
Coleman struggled, forcing him to miss time due to disciplinary actions for being late or missing team meetings. Not only that, but Coleman was a healthy scratch on more than one occasion, with the Bills opting to utilize the other playmakers and bench the second-year receiver.
Once the offseason began, things didn’t get easier for Coleman. During the press conference discussing former head coach Sean McDermott’s firing, Coleman was brought up by owner Terry Pegula, who threw the coaching staff under the bus for selecting Coleman in the draft. Needless to say, his future in Buffalo was in question.
That’s until new head coach Joe Brady opened up on his plan for Coleman moving forward, leaving no doubt about how he feels about the second-year wide receiver.
“Keon Coleman is going to be on our football team, and I have no issues with, if there [are] elements that need to be cleaned up from that, those are conversations that we can have,” Brady said. “But Keon knows how I feel about him; how much I love him and the faith that I still have in him.”
Joe Brady opens up about Terry Pegula’s disastrous press conference
With Brady taking over, the culture is going to change in Buffalo. Brady was quick to point to that culture change when asked about Mr. Pegula’s comments regarding Coleman. The new head coach isn’t shying away from the spotlight, and it’s something fans should be enamored with.
“Mr. Pegula can literally do whatever Mr. Pegula wants to do,” Brady said. “And part of the thing that I’ve loved about this is, look, the communication and airing your thoughts and feelings, that’s what I want. That’s part of our culture.”
Coleman has some learning to do heading into his third season, but it’s something that Brady is fully confident in his abilities. Once again, the off-field issues came up with Brady’s comments, and it cannot be overstated how important it is for Coleman to follow through on his responsibilities.
In no world should he be missing meetings or hurting his team with stuff off the field; it needs to be cleaned up immediately by Brady and the staff moving forward.
Joe Brady and the front office have all the faith in the world in Keon Coleman
“He’s going to continue to grow, but the elements that we saw in the draft process, the confidence that I have in him and his ability, and as long as he’s handling what he needs to do off the field, I have no doubt that he’s going to be successful on the field,” Brady said.
The message from Brady was clear: Coleman isn’t being written off, but he isn’t getting a free pass either. The talent that made him a high-profile draft pick is there, and Brady is willing to invest in it. Coleman simply needs to meet the standards off the field.
For Coleman, this offseason represents a crossroads. Under a new head coach and new culture, the excuses are gone. If he embraces expectations and does the little things right, he has a chance to reset the narrative he’s made in Buffalo. If not, Brady’s confidence won’t be enough to save him from becoming another cautionary tale in a franchise desperate for consistency at the position.
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