Buffalo Bills Head Coach Joe Brady Publicly Backs Keon Coleman

In this story:
Joe Brady is going through his first offseason as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills. This week, he's in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine and took time to speak with the media about the upcoming season.
One topic that Brady touched on is third-year wide receiver Keon Coleman. The 2024 second-round pick has been heavily criticized after failing to live up to expectations last year.
Brady, however, hasn't lost faith in Coleman. He even said that he told Coleman him becoming head coach is the best thing to happen to the wideout.
"I stood on the table for Keon Coleman. And I told Keon, you know, as soon as I got hired, when I called him, I said, look, man, the best thing to happen to you is me being your head coach. Like, the faith I have in you, I'm going to, we're going to make it work together. And I know the quarterback has the confidence in him," Brady said.
Brady added that it had to be difficult for Coleman to find himself being inactive at points during the 2025 season, but said they can still find a way to make it work.
"There's a lot of pressure that comes with being the top pick. Right. And, I'm understanding of that. But I'm also understanding that I was the one that wanted him. And I'm not saying it was only me. But I wanted him, and I'm going to do everything I can to work with him to make it work because he has all the talent. And when you see him out there and he's making plays, good things happen. And I love him, and I want the best for him.
Bills new head coach Joe Brady on Keon Coleman
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 26, 2026
"I told Keon as soon as I got hired, when I called him, I said: 'Look man, the best thing to happen to you is me being your head coach.'" pic.twitter.com/SVng0gkPkD
Keon Coleman will have competition in 2026, if he's still in Buffalo

Despite Brady's words of encouragement, there's no guarantee that Coleman will be with the Bills in 2026. They know they have to bring in a legit No. 1 wide receiver for Josh Allen to take them to the Super Bowl.
The Bills could do this through the draft, or even by adding a veteran during the offseason. Whatever they decide, Coleman won't have as easy a path to the field as he saw in 2025. Considering he struggled to make it work without that competition, it's hard not to see Brady's words as anything more than coach speak.
— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter for more free coverage from Buffalo Bills on SI—

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.