Posted on: April 1, 2026, 02:49h.
Last updated on: April 1, 2026, 02:49h.
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- Stevie Johnson sees “Year 3” breakout coming for Bills WR Keon Coleman
- Former Bills star mentoring Coleman to refine route-running and football IQ
- Johnson says D.J. Moore addition boosts offense but energy will be key
Stevie Johnson still marvels at the size and speed combination of Bills third-year wide receiver Keon Coleman. “A 6-foot-5 Hercules,” Johnson told Casino.org in an exclusive interview.
Despite his athletic profile, breakout success has thus far eluded Buffalo’s 2024 second-round pick, and there was quite the commotion in January when owner Terry Pegula said GM Brandon Beane was not responsible for drafting him.
While there is in-house pessimism, Johnson is adamant Coleman can become a star, and he’s here to help. The three-time 1,000-yard receiver made his mark in the NFL as a route-running savant, and Johnson said he has been in contact with Coleman this offseason about the technical aspects of the position.
“I hadn’t had a conversation with him his first two seasons, until after last year,” Johnson said. “I get it now. It all makes sense to me. I’d be like, ‘If only he would do this, on this type of route.’ After talking to him, he didn’t know that. Now I feel like it’s all going to slow down for him.” Johnson said Coleman, who played both basketball and football in college and entered the NFL as a raw prospect, didn’t have much of a plan against defensive backs his first two years. “I reached out and really picked his mind,” Johnson said.
“I realized he was still learning the game. He was only utilizing juke moves to get open, as opposed to understanding what the DBs are seeing when they line up against him. So it’s not necessarily about the juke move. It’s about imposing your dominance in their area and then controlling them. They’re all going to react to you, and then it’s about utilizing different moves to set up their reactions, so you can counter. “We just dove into it, and within his responses, I understood why in goal-line last year they didn’t want to really throw it to you as much, because you were telegraphing your route.”
Coleman had 29 catches for 556 yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, but his production dropped to 38 catches, 404 yards and four touchdowns last season. He was a healthy scratch for four games and had more maturity issues surface. Johnson said the lack of veteran leadership in the wide receiver room contributed to the missteps.
“I had Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, Josh Reed, Felton Huggins, Justin Jenkins,” Johnson said. “I had five people that were veterans already in the league that I could bounce things off of. Keon came in with Mack Hollins and all guys who were basically trying to break into being a player in the league. They’re trying to find their way and now you’ve got this kid coming in. “Not setting the alarm clock, talking a little bit, that’s the youth in him. And that’s not having a person in the room to say, ‘Hey, chill,’ like I had.” Johnson thinks it’s far too early to close the book on Coleman.
Johnson himself only had 112 receiving yards over the first two seasons of his career and then became the go-to guy in Buffalo. Andre Reed had a big statistical jump in Year 3 and made seven straight Pro Bowls beginning in Year 4. “He’s going to be able to soak all this up, and it’s going to come together for him,” Johnson said. “Year 3 is usually that time. Andre Reed took off in Year 3. I did. And I feel like it’s going to happen for him.”
Johnson: D.J. Moore must keep energy up with Bills
Despite the hefty price tag of a second-round pick, Johnson liked the addition of veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore this offseason. Johnson said his presence will help the other skill players on the field. “He’s a proven playmaker,” Johnson said.
“He’s got every tool. When you watch his film, you don’t see a lot of guys press him, because he’s already been established in the league to beat the press. So you see a lot of off-coverage, which is going to help Josh (Allen) pick apart a defense. There is so much D.J. Moore will open up for these other guys because of the attention that D.J. Moore brings.”
Johnson does have one concern: he doesn’t want Moore to mope if he doesn’t get a certain number of targets or receptions per game. “Something to watch for with D.J. Moore is his energy,” Johnson said. “He’s going to come to a team that doesn’t necessarily need a wide receiver they need to go to, considering you have Josh and James Cook. You’ve got a brilliant mind in (Joe) Brady who can move the ball up and down the field without a playmaker, as we saw last season. “His energy will need to remain at an elite level, a leader level, as opposed to, ‘I’m not getting 60 catches.’ He’s got to watch his energy, because that’s one thing I noticed from him when he wasn’t involved. Great pickup, but that’s definitely something to keep an eye on for team purposes when things aren’t going his way.” Johnson said it’s a role he had to accept as his career moved along.
He went from the No. 1 receiver in Buffalo to a complementary piece in San Francisco and San Diego his final two seasons.
“That’s exactly why I can speak on it,” Johnson said. “I would never call out a guy on his behavior, especially on a team I support, but I’ve got to keep it real from the perspective I’m in as an analyst now. When you don’t get those looks, in your head it’s like, ‘Why did you bring me here?’ It’s in your head. For everybody, it happens. “But the culture that’s been built in Buffalo, it should be strong enough to keep him focused. In other places, the culture is not the same. That’s the benefit of D.J. Moore coming to Buffalo. He’s coming to a culture that’s community-driven and together. We’ll see if he’s strong enough to overcome those times when everybody ain’t eating.”
Johnson: Bills will be a more aggressive team under Joe Brady
Johnson foresees a mentality shift now that Joe Brady has taken over as the head coach. He categorized Sean McDermott as an old school coach who relied on a conservative approach because of his defensive roots.
“Joe Brady is not going to be reckless, but he’s going to be more aggressive in ways where the offense may open up more for Josh Allen and the playmakers,” Johnson said. “The offense in the past was very calculated. It was based on being a conservative team, and I think Joe Brady is going to bring that dog mentality on both sides.”
Johnson said there will be no one holding back Brady and Allen this season. “There is no extra voice, no other level to talk to,” Johnson said. “It’s just Joe and Josh.”
Johnson: Brandon Aiyuk hasn’t found right mentor
Johnson was glad to give Coleman some advice, and would be happy to connect with Brandon Aiyuk as well. An ex-teammate of Johnson’s told Aiyuk to message him but it hasn’t happened. Aiyuk’s relationship with the 49ers has been tense for years and the star receiver left the team during ACL rehab last season. He is expected to get released at some point this offseason. “I reached out to Keon,” Johnson said.
“I tagged him (on social media), but he didn’t see it. It took a (mutual) guy to have us connect. So sometimes it’s just having the right people around you. Keon did, and we ended up connecting. As for Aiyuk, never met him, never spoke to him. One of my former teammates was telling him about me and to connect, but it didn’t really go through.” Johnson, who played for the 49ers in 2014, passed along the advice he would give to Aiyuk as he aims to re-start a once-promising career.
“Keep the friends you’ve got, because it’s hard to say, ‘I’m done with y’all,’ but I would direct my friendship group during the season to be very intentional,” Johnson said. “Have your trainer, your chef, your body therapist, your barber. If you’ve got kids, have them around, but make it intentional for those eight months. That’s where you start. “He’s got the talent to play the game, but it’s the decision-making. Sometimes we be trippin’ as players. We’re getting paid. We know we’re getting a check every week and we’re on TV. We feel like we’re everything, and anything we think should work. But that’s not really true. You need to have that mentor. I don’t think he had the strength in his circle to help him with certain decisions. My advice would be to find the right people around you.”
The 49ers have pivoted at wide receiver, signing veterans Mike Evans and Christian Kirk. Johnson said adding Kirk in the slot is going to be a major boon for San Francisco.
“If you watch film on Kirk, he’s a playmaker,” Johnson said. “You target him and he’s going to make the plays. He can get space. He’s open on third downs. I’ve seen him dissect our Bills defense. If you’re playing off-coverage, you may as well just give up the first down because Kirk is going to find it.”
Johnson: Keenan Allen was misused last season
Johnson played alongside a young Keenan Allen in 2015 with the Chargers, and said it’s no surprise his game has aged gracefully. Both wide receivers are well known for their standout route-running and technical abilities. “Keenan was a student of the game,” Johnson said.
“He was always on his iPad or asking other receivers what they were thinking. He wasn’t necessarily a space creator type. He was more of a technician, like Jerry Rice. Then he added some of those moves in because he was such a student of the game, to mix up his route combinations. I knew he was special.” The 33-year-old had 81 catches for 777 yards and four touchdowns last year with Los Angeles. “He’s a cheat code, an easy button,” Johnson said.
“He knows the holes and he’s seen every defense. That’s why he can get over 700 yards at 33. And beyond.” Johnson thinks Allen would have been even more productive with a different offensive coordinator at the helm. “Greg Roman isn’t pass-heavy,” Johnson said.
“He didn’t even utilize Keenan correctly, I would say. I’ve been in a Greg Roman offense. Keenan should’ve had over 1,000 yards and they should have dominated that playoff game. They were doing a lot of extra other stuff.” He believes Allen, a free agent, will be enticed by the switch to Mike McDaniel as the play-caller. Johnson expects Allen to ultimately end up either re-signing with the Chargers or go to the Rams so he can stay in Los Angeles. “He loves L.A., so I could see him staying with Mike McDaniel, a smart offensive mind,” Johnson said.
“But I also think he’s connected with Davante (Adams). I don’t think he’d mind going to the Rams, playing with them for a year and possibly getting to the Super Bowl, still in L.A.”
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