It’s been a bad few weeks for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman.
Weeks after going viral for being the butt of Cam Newton’s viral joke, Coleman’s struggles played a role in Buffalo falling short in the AFC Divisional Round. Head coach Sean McDermott was subsequently fired, and while distributing blame for personnel issues, owner Terry Pegula publicly used Coleman as an ill-advised decision from the coaching staff.
What Did One Bills Veteran Say in Defense of Keon Coleman?
Social media was all over Coleman during his second season, and Bills Mafia wasn’t much kinder. Coleman, being the subject of a lambasting from ownership (while still being rostered), could reasonably be at a breaking point.
“The coaching staff pushed to draft Coleman,” Pegula said. “That was Brandon Beane being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. He’s taken the heat over it, and not saying a word about it. I’m here to tell you the true story.”
Fortunately, veteran receiver Brandin Cooks was quick to come to Coleman’s defense. He joined “Good Morning Football” to reflect on the 2025 season and the crushing overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.
Cooks took on the responsibility of mentoring Coleman through his second season, and that doesn’t have to end just because Buffalo’s season is over.
.@BrandinCooks on @keoncoleman6 🤝 #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/j6ZZzmHkmR
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 22, 2026
“There was some pretty blatant disrespect, and his name was called out many times,” Kyle Brandt began. “Are you in touch with Keon?”
“I’m definitely in touch with Keon,” Cooks said. “When I got to Buffalo, I knew that was going to be somebody I gravitated towards to be able to help. I think Keon can play this game at a high level. I think he’s going to continue to grow. I think he’s also misunderstood. He’s a young kid, he’s still trying to figure it out.”
Coleman began his 2025 campaign with a splash, catching eight of 11 targets for 112 yards and a crucial touchdown in a comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens. However, Coleman’s season peaked in Week 1. He didn’t surpass 50 receiving yards in a game the rest of the way, and when turbulence hit, Coleman was a healthy scratch for off-field reasons.
Coleman ended his year with 38 receptions for 404 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cooks, who signed on November 25, totaled 114 yards with Buffalo in the regular season. In the playoffs, he added 78 more yards, coming heartbreakingly close to a potential game-sealing grab.
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By PFSN’s NFL WR Impact Metric, neither left much of a mark on Buffalo’s season. Cooks ranked 68th among 112 qualifiers. Coleman, despite the early-second-round draft capital and plenty of opportunities, ranked 75th, between Sterling Shepard and Calvin Ridley.
It was a disastrous season for Coleman, and the Bills’ receiving corps followed suit, limiting the potency of an offense headlined by a superstar quarterback. Cooks, though, remains optimistic about his understudy’s development.
“Obviously, there’s talent there; the guy can make plays. He’s going to continue to grow, and I think he has been. From when I got there to see how he was on Day 1 to the end of the season. He’s in there at six-something in the morning working out, he’s becoming a pro, he’s learning those things. I think all it takes is some time to be able to say, ‘Hey, come here. Let me take you under my wing and show you the way.'”
It isn’t immediately clear whether Cooks will return in 2026 for his age-32 season, or whether Coleman’s issues will prove lethal in this relationship. But Buffalo must insulate the receiving corps this offseason, and if Coleman is back for a third year, his development will have to be house money, not a load-bearing part of the offense.
