Buffalo Bills wideout Keon Coleman had no reason to think he would be the NFL’s main character on Wednesday, but team owner Terry Pegula had other plans. Pegula took quite the shot at the 2024 second-round pick, implying his draft pick was a decision made by recently fired head coach Sean McDermott.

During the team’s end-of-year media availability Wednesday, Pegula interrupted a question aimed at team president Brandon Beane to clarify Beane’s involvement in drafting Coleman.

Advertisement

Pegula’s response read:

“I’ll address the Keon situation. The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but he wasn’t his next choice. That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff, who felt strongly about the player. He’s taken, for some reason, heat over it and not said a word about it. But I’m here to tell you the true story.”

Coleman, who the team selected with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has not lived up to his draft status yet. In two seasons, Coleman has 67 catches, 960 yards and 8 touchdowns. He’s under contract with the Bills through the 2027 season, though maybe not for much longer.

During that period, the Bills have desperately needed a star receiver to step up and help quarterback Josh Allen, who was throwing to Brandin Cooks and Mecole Hardman in big moments during the team’s divisional round loss to the Denver Broncos.

While Pegula took the heat off Beane for the selection, X sleuths were quick to find evidence suggesting the team’s owner was incorrect. The team released a nearly 29-minute video following the 2024 NFL Draft which contains multiple instances in which Beane seemed more than happy to take Coleman in the second round.

Advertisement

In the first clip, Beane said he was happy Coleman ran a poor 40-yard-dash, because it would give the team a better chance to take him in the draft.

In the second clip, Beane tells Laura Pegula — Terry’s daughter — that the team has its sights set on Coleman at the beginning of the second round of the draft.

Both clips are small snippets from a video meant to hype and promote the team’s draft picks, so it’s worth considering them in that context. Beane very obviously isn’t going to trash a potential draft pick while cameras are rolling. And the Bills wouldn’t have used that footage in a video meant for fans had Beane questioned the pick.

Advertisement

In that context, there’s enough wiggle room that Pegula’s version of the story could be accurate. At the same time, Beane does seem excited about the possibility of taking Coleman, even months before the draft. Beane was, at the very least, a fan of Coleman’s game.

Beane, to his credit, stood by the decision Wednesday, later calling Coleman “my pick.”

Beane said the reasons for Coleman’s struggles so far are due to off-the-field issues and his maturity. But Beane also expressed confidence in the receiver going forward, saying, “We still believe in Keon Coleman.”

Advertisement

The Bills — and Beane — will need Coleman to take another step forward next season. Allen’s supporting cast has been criticized for years, and the quarterback could desperately use a star wideout to rely on in big moments.

If that’s not going to be Coleman, Beane is going to have to give Allen another option. And if that option doesn’t pan out, it will be tough for Pegula to put the blame on anyone else.