Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman admitted that he needed to be better after being benched for Sunday’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but his actions on the field before the game had some questioning his commitment.
Coleman was disciplined for the second time this season for arriving late or missing a team meeting. He had previously been benched for the opening drive of Buffalo’s loss to the New England Patriots, with the punishment escalating to a full-game benching.
The second-year receiver is facing new criticism after video showed him dancing on the field during pre-game warmups.
Keon Coleman’s Attitude Questioned
Video shared by WROC-TV reporter Thad Brown before the game showed Coleman wearing athletic pants and a winter coat on the field while his teammates were warming up. Coleman danced as uniformed players around him went through drills, which some saw as a bad look for the benched wide receiver.
The clip led to some criticism of Coleman, especially after multiple instances of missing team obligations. He also turned heads with his response to Brown, who asked if there is a lesson he took from being benched for the game.
âNah, I wouldnât say that,â Coleman replied.
âI wouldnât say it was difficult,â Coleman the Bills receiver added when asked what it was like to watch the game from the sidelines. âItâs disappointing. When you understand the result, what happened to make that happen, you get it. So you just got to be proud of your teammates and root for them.â
Some fans defended Coleman, saying the video showed that he was not sulking after facing discipline and appeared supportive of his teammates.
Bills veteran Dion Dawkins also delivered a harsh but supportive message, saying he had already spoken to Coleman and got assurances that the former second-round pick would grow up and start taking his obligations more seriously.
âIâve already spoken to him,â Dawkins said. âWhen I spoke to Keon before, I said, âBro, look, donât even worry about it. Everybody goes through a different journey. Letâs just say that this is the last time, and letâs just move forward.â And he said, âIâm with you.â Thatâs all we need.â
Sean McDermott Calls Out Keon Coleman
McDermott told reporters that he had no choice but to bench Coleman after his repeated tardiness to team meetings. Coleman was also disciplined late in his rookie season, making it three instances in close to a year and a half.
âWe get to a certain point and I have to do something,â McDermott said. âI try to give the guys a kind of a strike approach, you get a chance to show your teammates thatâs not who you really are. When it happens again, I step in. I believe he will learn from it. He takes it seriously. He will move forward in a way of growing from this. Thatâs the whole goal.â
The Bills didn’t miss a beat without Coleman, scoring 44 points en route to a big victory over the Buccaneers. The win moved the Bills to 7-3, keeping pace with the division-leading Patriots and putting some space from the bottom of the playoff bracket.
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