Why the Bengals Should Consider Trading for Former Bills Draft Bust

CINCINNATI — The Keon Coleman experiment might be over in Buffalo.

Bills owner Terry Pegula made his feelings perfectly clear about the former second round pick on Wednesday. He also came to the defense of Bills President and General Manager Brandon Beane for selecting the young wide-out nearly two years ago.

"The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon," Pegula said on Wednesday. "I'm not saying Brandon wouldn't have drafted him, but he wasn't his next choice. That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice.

"He's taking, for some reason, heat over it and not saying a word about it," Pegula added.

Coleman has appeared in 26 regular season games since the Bills selected him with the 33rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Buffalo traded up with Carolina to take the former Florida State star. Coleman had 29 catches for 556 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (12 starts) as a rookie. He failed to build on his rookie campaign in 2025, compiling 38 catches, 404 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games (six starts).

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Owner of the Buffalo Bills Terry Pegula before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Coleman missed four games in 2025, despite being healthy. It was the Bills way of disciplining the young wide receiver.

The 22-year-old was benched in November after being late to a Friday meeting. That was the beginning of what may be the end of Coleman's time in Buffalo.

It's hard to imagine the relationship being repaired after the owner basically blamed former head coach Sean McDermott and the rest of the coaching staff for picking Coleman.

Worth the Risk?

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) scores a touchdown during the third quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Bengals tried to address their wide receiver room in the 2024 NFL Draft when they selected Jermaine Burton with the 80th overall pick. It was a disaster. Cincinnati cut Burton before the end of the 2025 campaign. He hasn't been signed by another team.

Should they call the Bills and see what it would take to trade for Coleman?

The short answer is yes. Why not buy low on a talented player that didn't catch on in his first two seasons?

What would it cost? If the Bills are willing to move Coleman for a sixth round pick, then the Bengals should certainly be interested. Would it cost more?

The Bills don't have a sixth round pick in this year's draft. The Bengals don't have a fifth round pick, but they do have two sixth round picks. Would one get it done? Would it take both?

Coleman had quality moments in Buffalo, but clearly they were too far and few between. He had one catch for 10 yards and one touchdown in the Bills' 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the postseason. His best game of the year was in Week 1 when he finished with eight catches on 11 targets for 112 yards and one touchdown in a 41-40 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

Coleman has talent. On paper, he would be a nice fit with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas. He could play in the slot, but is big and physical enough to play outside. He hasn't played much in the slot for Buffalo, but plenty of evaluators believed that may be his best spot when he was entering the draft.

Salary Impact

Coleman is under contract for the next two seasons. If the Bengals did trade for him, they would acquire $1.7 million in salary for the 2026 season and $2.1 million in 2027 ($1.7 million guaranteed).

Iosivas is entering a contract year. So is Charlie Jones. Adding a wide receiver this offseason makes sense. Adding a young, talented and cost-controlled wide-out that has NFL experience would be even better.

Coleman would be a nice buy-low on a player that wouldn't need to be the first or second option on offense. That would be the biggest difference between the Bengals and the Bills. Buffalo drafted him to be a top piece. Meanwhile, the Bengals would need him to be their third or fourth option on a good day.

Check out Pegula's comments below:

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