Bills Provide Concerning Update on WR Keon Coleman After Wrist Injury
The Buffalo Bills will be without rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman for Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, and it appears he could be sidelined for several more weeks due to a wrist injury. Coleman sustained the injury late in the Bills’ victory over the Miami Dolphins, following a hit from Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer. On Friday, the team confirmed that Coleman has been ruled out for the upcoming game, with head coach Sean McDermott suggesting that the injury may keep him out much longer than initially expected.
“It’s probably going to be more than just this week,” McDermott said. “It’s probably going to be multiple weeks. I just don’t know how far into the future it’ll go.”
Bills Suffer Major Blow to Offense
Coleman had quickly become one of Buffalo’s most dependable receiving threats, racking up 22 catches for 417 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season. His absence adds to the growing list of injury concerns in the Bills’ receiving corps. Amari Cooper, who joined the team in an October trade, missed last week’s game with his own wrist injury, and Curtis Samuel has also been sidelined with an issue. Veteran receiver Mack Hollins is also dealing with a shoulder injury.
Despite his struggles with injuries, Cooper has shown optimism about his recovery. “Just taking it day by day, getting better as the days go by,” he said.
Since being traded to Buffalo, Cooper has not yet had a full opportunity to integrate into the offense. In his first game with the team, just days after the trade, he made four catches for 66 yards and one touchdown against the Tennessee Titans. Following that performance, quarterback Josh Allen praised Cooper for his quick adjustment to the offense, noting his professionalism and ability to make plays with minimal preparation. “He made a really good catch on that slant. Just trusting what I see with him, and things will turn out pretty good,” Allen said.
Cooper played in the next game against the Seattle Seahawks but only registered one catch for three yards.
Bills Add Depth to WR Corps
To help offset the loss of Coleman, the Bills made a move to add depth to their receiver group. On Friday, the team promoted practice squad receiver Jalen Virgil to the active roster. Virgil, who had already been elevated to the active roster twice this season, brings speed and big-play potential to the team.
Keon Coleman
Virgil, an undrafted free agent, spent last season with the Denver Broncos after a standout career at Appalachian State. In college, he recorded 98 catches for 1,436 yards and 11 touchdowns over five seasons. He was also listed by *The Athletic’s* Bruce Feldman as one of college football’s “Freaks” due to his impressive speed.
The Bills have not yet decided whether Coleman will be placed on injured reserve, but the addition of Virgil could help provide some much-needed depth to the receiving group as they navigate these injury challenges.
