The Bills have been searching for a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, or at least something close to it. Has the solution been right under their nose for three seasons?
Khalil Shakir wasn't quite the answer, and the jury is still out on DJ Moore after an injury-riddled start to his first season in Buffalo. Keon Coleman, drafted for his raw traits and high ceiling, might be ready to step into that role.
After a tumultuous 2025 season that saw Coleman spend time as a healthy scratch, the former second-round pick has looked more like the player the Bills believed they were getting in the early days of the 2026 campaign.
When he was first drafted, though, Coleman sparked mixed reviews from the Bills' most important decision-makers.
Here's a look back at owner Terry Pegula's comments about Coleman.
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What did Bills owner say about Keon Coleman?
Speaking on a range of topics after firing coach Sean McDermott in January, Pegula told reporters that Coleman wasn't GM Brandon Beane's "next choice" when the team drafted him with the top pick of the second round in 2024.
"The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon," Pegula said, adding, "I'm not saying Brandon wouldn't have drafted him."
Pegula, trying to defend his decision to give Beane more power after McDermott's firing, excused the selection as Beane "being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player."
Pegula's comments caught many by surprise in part because Coleman was an active member of the team, and the way the owner approached the conversation made the selection sound like a mistake when the team still had hopes Coleman could contribute going forward.
Beane, meanwhile, took responsibility for the selection.
"I made the pick. Terry's point was that we might have had a different order of personnel versus coaching, and I went that way," Beane told reporters. "But ultimately, I'm not turning a pick for a player that I don't think we can succeed with. So don't misunderstand that."
Early in 2026, it looks like Coleman has used those comments by Pegula as fuel, re-emerging as a key cog in the Bills' offense.
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Keon Coleman stats
| Season | Games | Rec. | Yards | TD | Y/R |
| 2024 | 13 | 29 | 556 | 4 | 19.2 |
| 2025 | 13 | 38 | 404 | 4 | 10.6 |
| 2026 | 4 | 14 | 217 | 1 | 15.5 |
| Career | 30 | 81 | 1,177 | 9 | 14.5 |
Coleman showed promise with more than 19 yards per reception as a rookie, but he struggled in 2025 and was a healthy scratch for four games.
2026 is still in its early stages, but the results so far have been positive for the young Bills receiver. Coleman has 217 yards through four games, including a 116-yard showing against the Patriots.
