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Keon Coleman could end up elsewhere in 2026.
The Keon Coleman experiment hasn’t worked so far the Buffalo Bills, which is why the second-year wideout could find himself playing for a budding rival in 2026.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell laid out a trade where Buffalo would offload the underwhelming 2024 second-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for fellow wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. this offseason.
Coleman has 67 catches for 960 yards and eight touchdowns in his two seasons with the Bills, who selected him with the 33rd overall pick of the 2024 draft. He had 38 catches for 404 yards with four touchdowns in 13 games in 2025 but had only two catches for 46 yards and a TD in Buffalo’s two postseason games against the Jaguars and Denver Broncos.
The Buffalo Bills May Want to Trade Keon Coleman
Aside from his now multi-year struggles in Western New York, Coleman also drew the public criticism in the infamous Brandon Beane/Terry Pegula end-of-year press conference. Barnwell wondered how Coleman could come back from that.
“The Bills desperately need an ‘X’ receiver who can separate from man coverage and make plays at all three levels,” Barnwell wrote for ESPN.com. “Coleman might have become that player for them, but after ownership bad-mouthed the 2024 second-round pick in a news conference, it’s tough to believe that he has a long-term future in Buffalo.”
The Jaguars Could Trade Brian Thomas Jr.
Barnwell floated Buffalo trading Coleman and a first-round pick this year for Thomas and a sixth-round selection in 2026. After qualifying for the Pro Bowl in his rookie year, and finishing fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Jayden Daniels, Brock Bowers and Bo Nix, Thomas had a huge regression in 2025 under first-year coach Liam Coen.
“Thomas never really seemed comfortable in Coen’s offense,” Barnwell wrote. “After a massive rookie campaign, Thomas didn’t have a single 100-yard game in Year 2 and topped 70 receiving yards three times. There were drops and (perhaps overstated) concerns about Thomas’ unwillingness to make catches in tight spaces.
“Bottom line: The production wasn’t there, and things didn’t get better as the season went along. Thomas had just two catches for 21 yards in the Jags’ playoff loss to Buffalo (though one was for a TD).”
Thomas’ fall off, combined with Jacksonville drafting Travis Hunter and acquiring Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders last season, could make him expendable. Buffalo throwing in the No. 26 pick could seal the deal.
“The Jags also don’t have their first-round pick in 2026 after trading it to the Browns as part of the Hunter deal,” Barnwell wrote. “Thomas would be their most realistic way to get that missing first-rounder back. Getting the pick back just for the sake of it doesn’t mean much, but if the Jags don’t see Thomas as a focal point of their offense, the best time to make a move would be now.”
So Barnwell feels inserting Thomas into rookie head coach Joe Brady’s offense could reignite Thomas’ game. If it did, Thomas would immediately become one of the game’s bargains.
“Thomas would immediately step in as Josh Allen’s No. 1 receiver,” Barnwell wrote. “For a team that’s $10 million over the projected cap before making adjustments this offseason, Thomas’ contract is a bargain for the next few years.
“He’ll make $2.1 million in 2026 and $2.8 million in 2027 before a potential fifth-year option in 2028, affording the Bills multiple seasons of cost control. Even if Thomas only settles in somewhere between his 2024 and 2025 form, he would offer significant surplus value.”
Pat Pickens is an experienced sports writer and media personality who has written for outlets like NHL.com, the Associated Press, the New York Times and USA Today. He covers the NFL, NBA, NHL and NBA as a breaking news contributor at Heavy. More about Pat Pickens
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