“I Ain’t Scared of S**t” – Bills’ Keon Coleman Responds Defiantly After Being Benched Multiple Times in 2025

Keon Coleman is entering the third year of his rookie contract and it's going to be the year that he must prove to the Bills that they can give him a long term deal down the line.

“I Ain’t Scared of S**t” – Bills’ Keon Coleman Responds Defiantly After Being Benched Multiple Times in 2025

Keon Coleman (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Keon Coleman had a disappointing 2025 season, starting only six games and being benched four times.
  • Coleman acknowledges the need for improvement and views the upcoming season as a "make or break" year for his career.
  • Buffalo Bills hired Joe Brady as the new head coach, who will focus on Coleman's development moving forward.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman is on the right track ahead of his third year in the NFL. Coleman had an underwhelming 2025 season, in which he started just six games, was benched for four, dropped crucial passes, and received criticism from Bills owner Terry Pegula.

The 23-year-old is not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Coleman knows better than anyone else that he needs to make improvements to his game, and he can’t do that by hiding from the critics. Keon Coleman told Matthew Bove of the Bills media:

Shelter myself? I ain’t scared of [expletive]… I know what they’re saying, I hear it. I just don’t care.

Meanwhile, the Bills’ front office made a massive change at the top of the coaching department. They hired former offensive coordinator Joe Brady as the new head coach. Brady is in charge of Coleman’s development, and he attends to see it through till the end. But it’s Coleman’s job to respond to the training as time is quickly running out. Coleman said via Associated Press:

For me, it’s make or break it [year]. [If] you’re [bad], you might not be here. Simple as that…I know what I’m capable of. So, if I fall anything short of that, I’m doing myself a disservice and my team.

During his rookie year in 2024, Coleman made 12 starts and caught 29 out of 57 passes for 556 yards. The Bills overserved a steep decline in the 23-year-old’s numbers and disciplined him for unruly behavior. Coleman only caught 38 out of 59 receptions for 404 yards and scored four touchdowns in 13 appearances.

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Keon Coleman reflects on his 2025 season with the Bills

Coleman started last year in an exciting fashion, racking up 112 receiving yards and a touchdown in a come-from-behind victory against the Baltimore Ravens. In the following game against the New England Patriots, he missed the Bills’ opening offensive drive, and what followed was a two-game suspension for staying absent from team meetings prior to the game.

"I Ain't Scared of S**t" - Bills’ Keon Coleman Responds Defiantly After Being Benched Multiple Times in 2025
Keon Coleman (Image via IMAGO)

Buffalo lost the game by three points, and Coleman was deprived of match incentives.

[Expletive], I mean getting benched four games or some [Expletive], like that. Unacceptable. It ended on a decent note and got a touchdown… I wouldn’t even call that a confidence boost. That’s just a positive thing to end the season on. But we lost. So, that’s another negative to erase that.

There’s every chance Coleman can turn his career around. The Bills need him to consistently deliver on game days. The best part is that he won’t be the main focus. Buffalo signed Pro Bowl receiver DJ Moore in the offseason and has Joshua Palmer, Tyrell Shavers, and Khalil Shakir to share the load.

Did the Bills’ general manager want to draft a different receiver other than Keon Coleman?

In January 2026, Bills owner Terry Pegula claimed that Coleman wasn’t general manager Brandon Beane’s first choice in the draft. Beane selected Coleman because the coaching team, led by former head coach Sean McDermott, pushed for it. Pegula said:

I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but [Keon Coleman] wasn’t his next choice. It was Brandon being a team player and taking advice from his coaching staff, who felt strongly about the player.

Beane later confirmed that Coleman was indeed his choice, and for the Bills, it’s crucial that Brady and Coleman remain in sync. Otherwise, his time in the Meadowlands will come to an end soon.

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