Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman arrived at the team’s open practice Tuesday morning wearing a walking boot on his right foot, adding another layer of concern for a player already facing significant expectations this season.
Reporters on the scene quickly noted the development.
“Keon Coleman is in a walking boot on his right foot,” Bills reporter Dan Fetes wrote on X.
Coleman had shown flashes just days earlier in the team’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers. He finished with three receptions for 17 yards and one touchdown, scoring the first unofficial touchdown at the new Highmark Stadium.
That score offered a brief positive moment, but the walking boot raised fresh questions about his availability moving forward.
“Keon Coleman catches the first TD in new Highmark Stadium and now he’s in a walking boot at the open practice,” Bills reporter Alex Brasky wrote on X. “Guy can’t catch a break.”
Another local voice confirmed the same detail.
“Keon Coleman in a walking boot on his right foot,” Bills reporter Jenna Cottrell wrote on X account.
Few players on the Bills roster carry as much pressure into the 2026 season as Coleman. Injuries only complicate the path he needs to take to meet those expectations.
Even before the latest setback, analysts urged caution about reading too much into his preseason performance. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton labeled any strong enthusiasm over Coleman’s play against the Panthers an “overreaction” the Bills should avoid.
“While that may be an unforgettable moment for Coleman, he has a long way to go before he turns the corner following two underwhelming seasons,” Moton wrote.
“Furthermore, Coleman must show a change in his mindset during the regular season. The team benched him for multiple games last year. In response to that, the wideout said he had to be more accountable. Head coach Joe Brady rejected trade offers for Coleman early in the offseason. So, the third-year pro will likely have a chance to redeem himself in Buffalo, but it’ll take more than a highlight moment in a preseason game to match the expectations for the top second-round pick in a draft class.”
Coleman entered the league as the No. 33 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft. Early issues with punctuality led to benchings as a rookie, including multiple healthy scratches. Those problems with arriving late to meetings and the resulting absences carried into the 2025 season as well.
The scrutiny intensified when Bills owner Terry Pegula pointed to the decision to draft Coleman as one factor in the firing of former head coach Sean McDermott after an AFC Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos in January. Coleman had caught a touchdown in that game, yet the broader criticism remained.
Across his first two seasons, Coleman compiled 67 receptions for 960 yards and eight touchdowns in 26 games. Those production numbers show clear talent, but they sit alongside ongoing questions about consistency and accountability.
Coleman has spoken openly about the need to improve in that area.
“Getting benched four games, some (expletive) like that … unacceptable,” Coleman told ESPN. “Ended off on a decent note, had a touchdown (in the playoffs), so that was — I wouldn’t even call that a confidence boost, it was just a positive to end the season on. But we lost. So, that was another negative to erase that. But, I mean, I don’t need self-motivation, though. I know what I am here to do and what I am capable of doing.”
The walking boot now places an additional obstacle in front of a player trying to prove he can deliver on that potential. The Bills have given him another opportunity under head coach Joe Brady, but the latest injury news underscores how fragile progress can be for someone still working to establish himself as a reliable contributor.
