Bills' Joe Brady, Josh Allen open up about future of Keon Coleman after controversial Terry Pegula comments

A major talking point hovering over the Buffalo Bills this winter continues to involve team owner Terry Pegula saying during a news conference that former head coach Sean McDermott and not Bills general manager/president of football operations Brandon Beane was responsible for the club selecting wide receiver Keon Coleman with the No. 33 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Pegula and Co. ultimately determined that Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady was the ideal replacement for McDermott. During his introductory news conference on Thursday, Brady insisted that "Keon Coleman is going to be a Buffalo Bill" despite Pegula's controversial comments. 

Will Joe Brady be "the best thing" for Keon Coleman's Bills tenure?

"I told Keon when I got hired, the best thing that happened to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach," Brady said, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. "I was one of the ones that stood on the table for Keon Coleman, and I believe in Keon Coleman."

Coleman was disciplined, benched and made a healthy scratch multiple times during his first two pro seasons under McDermott. Some have understandably assumed that Pegula's comments represented the beginning of the end of Coleman's time with the Bills, but Brady suggested that's not the case. 

"He's going to continue to grow, but the elements that we saw in the draft process -- the confidence that I have in him and his ability -- and as long as he's handling what he needs to do off the field, I have no doubt that he's going to be successful on the field," Brady added about Coleman. 

Josh Allen voices support for Keon Coleman

Earlier in January, Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks referred to Coleman as a "misunderstood" talent. On Thursday, Buffalo star quarterback Josh Allen voiced his support for Coleman.

"I'm not going to give up on [Coleman]," Allen said. "He's got too much ability, and I will not give up on him. We're going to work tirelessly, him and me, and so will everybody else in this building, to make sure that whenever we step foot on the field, that we're going to find ways to win football games. And he's going to be part of that."

It remains to be seen if Pegula will push Beane to listen to trade offers for Coleman's services leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft. Brady indicated he would void such a trade if given the ability to do so. 

"Mr. Pegula can literally do whatever Mr. Pegula wants to do," Brady explained. "And part of the thing that I've loved about this is, look, the communication and airing your thoughts and your feelings, that's what I want. That's part of our culture. ... Keon Coleman is going to be on our football team, and I have no issues with, if there [are] elements that need to be cleaned up from that, those are conversations that we can have. But Keon knows how I feel about him; how much I love him and the faith that I still have in him."

For what it's worth, a previous report revealed that Coleman "has not requested a trade and is proceeding as though he will play for the Bills in 2026" despite being thrown under a figurative bus by Pegula.