Bills' legend Andre Reed reveals 'more to the story' behind Keon Coleman benching

As Bills' receiver Keon Coleman sat our his second consecutive game, icon Andre Reed is coming to his defense with a plea for patience.

Keon Coleman | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The more the Buffalo Bills' offense stagnates, the more the blame - and pressure - shifts to a player who isn't even on the field these days — Keon Coleman.

Coleman, who was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game for Thursday night's ugly loss to the Houston Texans, is a trending topic on both social media and the TV morning talk shows. The talented receiver who was supposed to make a second-year leap instead has made a second-year retreat.

Without injured targets Dalton Kincaid and Curtis Samuel and with Khalil Shakir coughing up a costly fumble, offense sputtered in the 23-19 loss. Holding onto the ball too because his receivers couldn't get open against man-to-man coverage, Josh Allen was sacked eight times.

MORE: Bills' benched WR getting advice from team minority owner Tracy McGrady?

Coleman, meanwhile, spent about 30 minutes before the game talking to team minority owner and former NBA superstar Tracy McGrady. On Friday he got an explanation from an ESPN NFL insider and support from a Bills' Hall of Famer.

Andre Reed | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"He's not a drinker. Not a partier. He's a homebody," explained ESPN's Peter Schrager on Get Up!. "It's not like he's out late partying or anything like that. He's just not there yet. They need more from him maturity-wise. It's immaturity. But they need him now. Right now."

Please know I believe @keoncoleman6 ‘s time is coming…. Took me till year 3. I know the WR position better then most on the planet 🌎;) #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/3bujurOM93

— Andre Reed (@Andre_Reed83) November 21, 2025

Bills' legend Andre Reed immediately became a Coleman fan when he was drafted in 2024. He surprised the rookie at an event with a handful of gifts. Now he's telling fans to be patient.

Wrote Reed on his social media Thursday night: "Please know I believe Keon ‘s time is coming…. Took me till year 3. I know the WR position better then most on the planet."

RELATED: Ex-Bills' personnel director says 'just cut Keon Coleman'

When a commenter to the post pointed to Coleman being benched for a lack of on-field effort, Reed cryptically responded, "More to the story."

To our knowledge, Reed was never benched in consecutive games by head coach Marv Levy. In his second season, he caught 53 passes for 739 yards and seven touchdowns on his way to a 15-year career highlighted by seven Pro Bowls and four Super Bowls.

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After catching eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the Week 1 rally over the Baltimore Ravens, Coleman has been a non-factor with no more than four catches or 46 yards in any game.

Keon Coleman | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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