Bills GM shares 'challenge' for Keon Coleman after controversial Terry Pegula comments

One of the most-discussed stories of the Buffalo Bills' offseason involved team owner Terry Pegula saying during a news conference that former head coach Sean McDermott and not general manager/president of football operations Brandon Beane was responsible for the club acquiring wide receiver Keon Coleman with the 33rd overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

While speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, Beane suggested that Coleman still has a future with the organization.

Will Bills give Keon Coleman "every chance" to bounce back after Terry Pegula comments?

"That is kind of the challenge to Keon -- can you go back and do what you did all [last] offseason in your training camp. ...Don't let some of the maturity issues off the field affect the product on the field," Beane explained, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. "If he does that, he'll have every chance."

Beane's comment about "maturity issues" was likely a reference to the fact that Coleman was disciplined, benched and made a healthy scratch multiple times during his first two NFL campaigns. Coleman thus far has recorded 67 receptions on 116 targets for 960 yards and eight touchdowns across 26 career regular-season games.

Shortly after Pegula generated headlines while speaking about Coleman, a report revealed that the 22-year-old "didn’t understand Pegula’s comments but quickly shook them off." Coleman has not gone public with a trade request since the Bills chose offensive coordinator Joe Brady as McDermott's full-time replacement. 

Brady previously said he told Coleman that the best thing for the young wideout "was me being his head coach." Buffalo star quarterback Josh Allen has also insisted he is "not going to give up on" Coleman. 

Are Bills still "excited" about what Keon Coleman could offer the club?

"...And I know we've got some new coaches, and they're excited to meet him and get to work with him and were aware of him in the draft process a couple of years ago, and so they kind of want to try to start to mold him in the way they see and envision him for our team," Beane added about Coleman. 

It remains to be seen if that excitement will last through spring and summer workouts.