Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott benched second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman on Sunday, making him a healthy scratch.The reason Coleman was inactive was he was late to a team meeting. It is the third benching of Coleman’s young career following being benched for one drive in Week 5 of the 2025 season and a full quarter in 2024.
According to reports, the Bills were going to play Coleman despite a lackluster effort against the Miami Dolphins in Week 10, where he half-heartedly jogged through routes.Once he was late to the meeting,it forced the Bills’ hand.
It is indeed unclear if Coleman will be in the lineup in a few days against the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football.
To his credit, Coleman answered questions from reporters after the game, but bigger questions than that remain for the former second-round pick in the grand scheme of things.”Just got to be better,” saeid coleman when talking to reporters in the tunnel after the game. “Better on my end… Mistakes happen. Things happen.”
Thad Brown from WROC in Rochester asked Coleman if there is a lesson he hasn’t learned at this point or a message that isn’t being received.
“Nah, I wouldn’t say that,” responded Coleman.”I wouldn’t say it was tough,” Coleman responded to a question. “It’s disappointing.When you understand the result, what happened to make that happen, you get it.So you just got to be proud of your teammates and root for them.”
Bills’ Dion Dawkins Issues stern Challenge to Keon Coleman
Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins delivered a direct message to wide receiver Keon Coleman regarding recent disciplinary issues and on-field performance, according to reports. Dawkins spoke to Coleman directly and then addressed the situation through the media.
Dawkins stated he spoke with Coleman, telling him, “Look, don’t even worry about it.Everybody goes through a different journey. Let’s just say that this is the last time and let’s move forward.” He reported that Coleman responded positively, saying, “I’m with you.” Dawkins emphasized the need for accountability within the team, stating, “Nobody’s perfect. In this league, we need guys that come on.”
Dawkins made it clear that the period of leniency is over for Coleman. “Keon knows now he’s in the hot seat and he needs to come on and show up for us. Pats on the back are over with and it’s time for him to grow up and he knows it,” Dawkins said. He added that Coleman received the feedback well and the team will assess his response in the coming week.
Despite the firm tone, Dawkins reiterated his support for Coleman, acknowledging the challenges of the NFL. “Like I said at the beginning of this season, I’m in Keon’s corner. This league is hard. Being on time is hard. Being great is hard. Pushing for greatness is hard. We’ve got his back but the time is now.”
The call for betterment comes amid broader criticism of Coleman. Bills General Manager Brandon Beane publicly expressed dissatisfaction with Coleman’s recovery from a 2024 injury during the end-of-year press conference. Coleman’s on-field production has also been a point of concern for fans and team personnel.
Whether Coleman will respond to this challenge and improve his performance remains to be seen.