Bills GM's Keon Coleman Comment in Pre-Draft Video Resurfaces After Coaches Blamed for Pick

A comment aired in a pre-draft video potentially conflicts with a recent claim from Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula that the decision to select wide receiver Keon Coleman was driven by the team's former coaching staff rather than general manager Brandon Beane.

The clip shows Bills staffers telling Beane that Coleman had run a 4.57-second 40-yard dash during the 2024 NFL draft combine.

"I'm glad he ran that," Beane answered at the 8:58 mark. "That'll help to get him."

When Beane was asked about the decision to draft Coleman in a recent press conference, Pegula interjected to say "the coaching staff pushed to draft Keon."

"I'm not saying Brandon wouldn't have drafted him, but he wasn't his next choice," Pegula said. "That was Brandon being a team player, and taking advice of his coaching staff, who felt strongly about the player. And he's taken, for some reason, heat over it, and not saying a word about it. But I'm here to tell you the true roster."

Coleman, who received multiple healthy scratches this season but still ranked second among Bills wideouts with 404 receiving yards in 13 games, is currently under contract with the Bills for two more seasons.

Pegula fired former head coach Sean McDermott while promoting Beane on Monday, two days after the Bills were eliminated from the divisional round with an overtime loss to the Denver Broncos.

Beane will now serve as president of football operations in addition to general manager, which Pegula said in a statement would involve him overseeing "all facets of our football operation, including the oversight of our coaching staff."

"I have full faith in and have witnessed Brandon's outstanding leadership style and have confidence in his abilities to lead our organization," Pegula said in that initial statement.

Pegula reiterated his trust in Beane during Wednesday's press conference, including taking over on the Coleman question.

WGRZ's Vic Carucci reported earlier this week the decision to fire McDermott had been made about five weeks after McDermott criticized the Bills' roster in a meeting with Pegula and Beane.

According to Carucci, McDermott "pointed out what the roster lacked to win a Super Bowl," and "neither Beane nor Pegula was pleased with McDermott's assessment."

When asked about that reported meeting Wednesday, Pegula answered, "I don't know where that came from, but we met all the time. Talked to Sean every day. Yeah, we talk about being dissatisfied with this, being happy with that, and whatnot. We communicated all the time, and I don't know where that came from."

Pegula also said he hadn't considered firing McDermott until he was in the locker room after the loss to the Broncos.

The Bills will now have to continue searching for McDermott's replacement while potentially evaluating Coleman's role on the team going forward. After falling short of the Super Bowl for a seventh straight playoff run with Josh Allen, the Bills could decide to target a wide receiver with at least one of their seven picks in the 2026 NFL draft.