The Buffalo Bills hired Joe Brady as their new coach earlier this week, succeeding Sean McDermott. During his introductory press conference on Thursday, Brady emphatically backed Keon Coleman, nine days after Bills owner Terry Pegula appeared to throw the wideout under the bus.

Brady, however, said that Coleman is expected to play a big part in his plans.

“I told Keon when I got hired, the best thing that happened to Keon Coleman was me being his head coach,” Brady said. “I was one of the ones that stood on the table for Keon Coleman, and I believe in Keon Coleman.

“He’s going to continue to grow, but the elements that we saw in the draft process — the confidence that I have in him and his ability — and as long as he’s handling what he needs to do off the field, I have no doubt that he’s going to be successful on the field.”

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

During a press conference on Jan. 21, Pegula interjected when Bills general manager Brandon Beane was asked a question about Coleman.

“I’ll address the Keon situation,” Pegula said. “The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon. I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but (Coleman) wasn’t his next choice.

“That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. And you know, 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 story.”

The Bills took Coleman in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. However, he hasn’t hit the heights that many have expected from him.

Coleman finished the 2025 regular season with 404 yards and four touchdowns on 38 receptions. He posted 42 yards and a TD on two receptions across two playoff games as the Bills crashed out of the postseason with a 33-30 loss in overtime to the Denver Broncos.

Joe Brady served different roles under former Bills HC Sean McDermott

The Bills initially hired Joe Brady as their quarterbacks coach in February 2022. He was promoted to interim offensive coordinator in November 2023.

Brady was promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2024 season. He helped Josh Allen win the MVP award in his first year as OC.

Now, Brady will serve as the head coach for the Bills.