Remember that late-season game against the Chargers in week 16? For some reason, it was hard to tell who the Bills were actually trying to feature. One drive, Khalil Shakir’s getting a bunch of targets. Next, he’s barely on the field. Dalton Kincaid looked great early, then suddenly stopped getting red zone looks. What exactly was the plan there?

Buffalo’s WR line is crowded, to say the least. That should be a good thing. More weapons, more ways to attack. But when you really look at it, it gets kind of messy. One guy breaks out one week, then barely gets a snap the next. There’s no real flow. No one knows what exactly OC Joe Brady‘s plan is here. But if these ‘gross rotations’ don’t work out, it could put a young star’s (specifically Keon Coleman‘s) season in jeopardy. Maybe the Bills’ playoff hopes, too.

In a recent episode of Locked on Bills, the host called out Joe Brady’s unusual rotations at WR. “We’ve seen this super gross rotation under Joe Brady. Every guy is cannibalising each other’s upside. A lot of week-to-week volatility. It’s a guessing game for who goes off every week. The more and more guys in the mix, the less upside there is for fantasy. Less production, less value,” he said.

And he is absolutely right. In 2024, the Bills‘ receiver room just never really settled in. Even though Khalil Shakir technically led the group, his route share was only around 60%. Way below what you’d expect for a WR1. For comparison, the top guys in the league usually clock in at 80% or more. And the rest of Buffalo’s pass-catchers? They saw even less action. Bottom line: the Bills didn’t really have a go-to guy.

And Josh Allen? He needs that consistency. He needs that rhythm. The fact that he pulled out an MVP season amidst all that chaos up front? It’s beyond insane. But the man deserves some consistency ahead of him this season.

And the game tapes confirm the chaos. Take Week 6 against Miami: Curtis Samuel saw 8 targets and hauled in 5 catches, looking like the featured guy. Then next week against New England? Joshua Palmer steps into the spotlight with 7 targets, while Keon Coleman only gets 2. That same trend kept showing up down the stretch.

Coleman had a monster outing in Week 7 vs. Tennessee—4 catches, 125 yards, and Rookie of the Week honors—but after that? Just 10 receptions total over the final seven games. It felt like no one could hang onto the hot hand for more than a week. “Last year, we saw the grossest rotation of any offence. Khalil Shakir led the team, but he still ranked 64th among all receivers in route share. Other receivers were low, too. Tight ends, too,” he added.

This is a problem. A big one. The worst part? For a player pegged to have a breakout season, it could ruin everything.

Gross rotations could hamper Coleman’s season

You don’t usually see a hyped-up rookie like Keon Coleman come in with all the tools. The Bills really did hit the jackpot with him. Analyst Bucky Brooks said Coleman is “primed for the biggest jump to dominant outside WR” heading into Year 2. That is far from an unpopular opinion. Coleman’s got the size (6’3”, 215), the speed, and the physicality to win one-on-one matchups all day long.

His college resume backs it up. First-Team All-ACC, over 1,500 receiving yards, and 19 touchdowns between his time at Michigan State and Florida State. The guy made plays. And even in a limited role last season in Buffalo, he still flashed big-time upside, averaging 19.2 yards per catch. The only concern? Usage.

Joe Brady favors depth and unpredictability over stability and chemistry. All the way across the WRs to the TEs. For young receivers trying to grow? It’s even worse. Week-to-week volatility kills consistency. And for the younger players? Consistency is everything.

Josh Allen has made his feelings known a bunch of times. He wants dependable sprint-out threats. And for Keon Coleman to become that guy, he needs to be on the field a whole lot more. We’re talking 70–80% route share. But if Joe Brady keeps juggling receivers, it might delay or even hamper Coleman’s expected breakout.