Josh Allen Decides Bills WR’s Future After Sean McDermott’s Strong Warning

Be it his athletic life or personal life, Josh Allen has achieved it all. A mammoth 6-year, $330 million contract extension with $250 million guaranteed money, the biggest guaranteed amount ever in the history at the time of signing. Married to the Hollywood sweetheart, Hailee Steinfeld. After the season ended, he even won his first MVP award. But this year, the Bills Mafia wants the ultimate prize. Super Bowl LX! Despite qualifying for 4 consecutive SBs from 1990 to 1993, they never won it. And Mr. January shows them real hope.

Yet, everything will depend on how he connects with his receivers on the field. Khalil Shakir is steady and reliable. The safety valve who has built that rare trust with Josh Allen, the kind you can’t fake. His catch rates prove it. His playoff grit shows it. But let’s be real. Slot receivers don’t tilt defenses. They move the chains, not the scoreboard. That’s fine for now, but Buffalo needs more than fine. They need fear. They need Keon Coleman. Coleman might not instantly turn into a true No. 1 wideout, but the Bills have set the stage for him to be their go-to guy in almost every way.

As the starting X-receiver and a strong blocker, he’s going to stay on the field, and with his backup mostly tied to special teams, those snaps are his to own. Josh Allen showed all camp that he trusts Coleman, throwing to him in the red zone, on deep shots, and even in tight coverage. That kind of connection usually carries over on Sundays. With so many chances coming his way and his ability to stretch the field, Coleman has a real shot at leading Buffalo in both targets and yards this season, and the Bills are banking on him to deliver in 2025. As The Athletic puts it: “Allen was unafraid to put the ball up to Coleman in any situation. That trust level is likely to carry over into the regular season….the Bills are hoping for big things from Coleman in 2025.”

Coleman is the one with the swagger. The 6’3″, 213-pound mismatch who clocked a 38-inch vertical and went 125 yards against the Titans before most rookies can even find the cafeteria. He’s not finesse, he’s force. He’s the kind of wideout you draft at 33 to fill the void left by Diggs and Davis. And Buffalo didn’t hide it. They stapled him to the X-receiver spot and dared Josh Allen to test it. He did. Over and over again this summer. Short, deep, red zone.

October 6, 2024, Houston, Texas, U.S: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman 0 prior to the start of the second half between the Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX on October 6, 2024. Houston U.S – ZUMAw137 20241006_aap_w137_089 Copyright: xErikxWilliamsx

Every time, Coleman was the answer. The rookie numbers? 556 yards, 4 TDs, and a wrist injury that cut momentum short. Air yards at 15.2 per target. Snap counts ready to mirror Gabe Davis’ 90% workloads. A backup in Tyrell Shavers, who’s really just a special teamer. The Bills already know Shakir can deliver consistency. But Coleman? He’s the swing factor. The one who can stretch a defense and unlock Allen’s cannon again.

Back in June, Josh Allen praised the young 22-year-old WR and said, “I wouldn’t say I expect anything out of him, but all I can say is he is 100% taking this seriously….He’s a stud, and I’ve said this for a long time. That’s why I wanted him. His body control is up there with anybody that I’ve ever played with.” So, the QB doesn’t just like throwing to him; he loves it. That trust, coupled with opportunity, is how breakouts happen. Here’s the hook. If Coleman hits, Buffalo isn’t just stable. They’re dangerous. If he doesn’t? Same script, different year.

Allen is dragging an offense short on weapons into another snowy January night. But if he does, and the signs say he just might, Coleman won’t just lead the Bills. He’ll save them.

Sean McDermott has a special message for Josh Allen’s WR

Keon Coleman just got his wake-up call. And it came straight from Sean McDermott. After a rookie year that teased star potential but collapsed after injury, the Bills’ head coach didn’t pull punches. He called Coleman’s finish “rocky.” That’s not a throwaway line. That’s a warning.

The stats tell the story. Coleman opened on fire, 22 catches, 425 yards, and 3 touchdowns in his first nine games. Then the wrist injury hit. Josh Allen’s WR missed weeks, stumbled back, and closed with just seven grabs for 131 yards. In the playoffs, when Buffalo needed him most, he disappeared. 3 catches, 8 targets, and 22 yards. For a second-round pick drafted to replace Stefon Diggs, that’s not good enough.

McDermott made sure Coleman knew it. “I thought he got off to a start that he built momentum through, and then he got injured, and then from there on, it was rather rocky,” McDermott said. “We’re looking for him to learn from those moments of adversity, and come back and have a really, really, really strong offseason and get himself going into the start of season two. And that takes a certain type of person with a certain drive and determination and fire in their heart, and it’s going to be Keon’s turn to show that he has that this offseason.”

Fire in their heart. McDermott wasn’t talking about routes or playbooks. He was talking about guts. About whether Coleman has the mentality to be the guy, giving him a challenge, or call it a strong warning to show up this time. Because here’s the truth, Buffalo has no fallback plan. Tyrell Shavers is on special teams. Khalil Shakir is solid, not scary. Coleman’s the one who’s supposed to scare defenses again.

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