ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman put the importance of his third season in the NFL simply.
"For me, it's make or break," Coleman said.
"[If you are] s---, you might not be here. Simple as that, [simply] put, man. ... I know what I'm capable of. So, if I fall anything short of that, I'm doing myself a disservice and my team."
For a variety of reasons -- including unprompted remarks from team owner Terry Pegula -- the outside talk about Coleman has been extensive this offseason.
But in speaking with the media following a Bills voluntary OTA on Tuesday, and for the first time since the 2025 season ended, Coleman spoke openly about the reality of his situation. He insisted he doesn't care about all the noise surrounding him, saying his "job is to come out here, put my cleats on, strap them up and prove my worth here."
The 33rd pick in the 2024 NFL draft is coming off a season that he described on Tuesday as "ass." Coleman, 23, was disciplined by former coach Sean McDermott in November for being late to a meeting in the form of a healthy scratch. He was then inactive for three more games during the season. Coleman was also benched for a quarter of a game during his rookie season because of off-field timing issues.
He finished the 2025 season with only one game over 100 receiving yards (Week 1), four regular-season touchdowns and one in the divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos. His 404 receiving yards in 2025 trailed the 556 in his rookie season in the same number of games (13).
"Getting benched four games, some s--- like that. Unacceptable," Coleman said. "Ended off on a decent note, had a touchdown [in the playoffs], so that was -- I wouldn't even call that a confidence boost, it was just a positive to end the season on. But we lost. So, that was another negative to erase that. But, I mean, I don't need self-motivation, though. I know what I am here to do and what I am capable of doing."
During a news conference held in the wake of McDermott's firing, Pegula expressed that it was the coaching staff, not general manager Brandon Beane, who advocated for selecting Coleman.
The receiver said he did not have a reaction to the comments and has not spoken to Pegula since. When asked whether he wants to, Coleman said, "I mean, what's there to talk about? I'm here."
Since then, Beane has spoken highly of Coleman and asserted that the Bills want to make his situation work, including sharing on local radio station WGR 550 that they shut down other teams that reached out. Coleman said he did not have any conversations about the possibility of being traded.
Head coach Joe Brady, formerly the team's offensive coordinator, has spoken highly of Coleman since he took over the job in January. Brady called Coleman the night before the coach's introductory news conference; Coleman described it as "a great talk."
On Tuesday, Brady spoke highly of Coleman's work ethic and how the receiver has approached each day. "The biggest thing with him is establishing a pro mentality," Brady said.
Having a professional approach is something Coleman echoed in how he hopes to avoid similar issues to last season. Other keys he noted include staying healthy and controlling what he can control.
His approach so far this offseason has been noted elsewhere in the building, including by quarterback Josh Allen.
"The only thing I want from [Coleman] is to be the best version of himself. I truly believe that is the best way to do it," Allen said. "I've already seen a shift in his mindset this year, and how hard he's been coming out to practice and working out, so that's obviously very promising. ... I fully believe in him. I still do, and that will never change."
