Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman has been one of the team’s most effective pass-catchers this year, but he was conspicuously absent when the team first took the field against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott revealed the reason for his absence, telling reporters on Monday that the second-year wide receiver had faced team punishment for something that took place earlier in the week. McDermott shared some critical remarks, urging Coleman to show improvement.
Keon Coleman Benched for Disciplinary Reasons
McDermott told reporters that Coleman was benched for disciplinary reasons. While the Bills coach did not reveal the exact reason, he called the decision a âhead coachâs discipline.â
McDermott also called out Coleman, saying the team expects more from their second-year wide receiver.
âWell, we expect more, and he has shown growth this year. He has. Weâre looking for more consistency,â McDermott said, via The Athletic.
As The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia pointed out, Coleman has faced discipline from the team during his rookie season as well.
The receiverâs benching Sunday night did not mark the first time the Bills have disciplined Coleman for in-season conduct,” Buscaglia wrote. During Colemanâs rookie year last season, the team benched him for the entire first quarter of a September game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 2024 violation was due to not being on time during the week.”
McDermott spoke in constructive terms toward Coleman, saying it is the team’s goal to help all of the players grow both on and off the field. While McDermott credited Coleman for the growth and maturation the team has seen since he came as a second-round pick last year, he pushed Coleman to do more.
âSo thatâs really what weâre trying to create, and thatâs what weâre here to do is help young men, in this case, grow and mature and develop and become professionals, and thatâs part of the process,” McDermott said.
Keon Coleman’s Impact Growing
McDermott also challenged Coleman following his rookie season, saying the team wanted to see more consistency. As a rookie, Coleman had a strong start but missed five games after suffering a hand injury and struggled to regain his form over the final stretch of the season and playoffs.
Coleman is again off to a good start in his second year, making 21 receptions for 226 yards with two touchdowns. He ended Sunday’s game with four catches for 23 yards and a touchdown, but also lost a fumble deep in New England territory that led to a Patriots field goal for the first scoring of the game.
Coleman’s teammates have offered praise on the past, with quarterback Josh Allen predicting this summer that he would be headed for a big season.
“I wouldn’t say I expect anything out of him, but all I can say is he is 100% taking this seriously,” Allen said, via SI.com. “He’s bigger right now. He’s faster. He’s stronger. He understands the playbook better. I think we’re talking more, we’re still conversing about how we can be better, where certain balls will be thrown.”
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