Getty

Bills WR Keon Coleman

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman got a vote of confidence from the team’s front office after a shaky 2025 season, but it may not be enough to guarantee a roster spot in the coming year.

Coleman struggled with inconsistent play last year, being benched twice for disciplinary issues and seeing his production drop after a promising rookie year. Coleman’s spot on the team appeared to be in jeopardy after owner Terry Pegula called him out at a press conference announcing the firing of head coach Sean McDermott, and one insider predicts that the Bills could deal the wide receiver before the season starts.

Keon Coleman’s Roster Spot Not Guaranteed

SI.com reporter Alex Brasky identified Coleman as one of the players “on the chopping block” as the season nears.

“After Brandon Beane and Joe Brady each gave Coleman their seal of approval this offseason, it seems doubtful at this stage that Coleman will be outright cut before Week 1. However, I still believe there is a chance he could be traded if the right deal comes along,” Brasky wrote.

Brasky believes that the Bills could find that deal with the Tennessee Titans, a team rebuilding and looking for help at wide receiver.

“The Titans are thin on quality pass-catching options, and while Coleman has proven to be far from that, he is still a young player at 23 years old and perhaps he could turn his career around if he were to be dealt to a different team,” Brasky wrote.

Brasky painted Coleman’s future in rather dire terms, writing that “his time in Buffalo is running out.”

“The Bills might as well get something for him before his value plummets to the point where he becomes a completely worthless commodity,” Brasky wrote.

Bills Could Take Another Direction

Not everyone shares Brasky’s assessment of Coleman and his place with the team. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton noted that the Bills shut down trade inquiries for Coleman leading up to the NFL draft, indicating that the team still places a high value on him.

Moton suggested the Bills could instead cut ties with Joshua Palmer, who also struggled to find his place on the offense.

“Coleman has struggled and regressed from his rookie to his second campaign,” Moton wrote. “The team sidelined him as a healthy inactive for multiple games in the previous season. If the Bills plan to allow Coleman an opportunity to contribute, they must clear a logjam at wide receiver.”

Beane made it clear that Coleman would still be an important part of the team, walking back the statement from Pegula blaming McDermott for pushing to draft the wide receiver.

“Keon, it’s not lip service,” Beane said, via ESPN. “We’re excited about Keon.”

Moton noted that the recently acquired DJ Moore and top receiver Khalil Shakir are firmly ahead of Palmer on the depth chart, and Coleman would likely remain above him as well.

Palmer had just 22 receptions for 303 yards in 12 games last season, and Moton suggested that the team could be better served giving those targets to Coleman.