The Buffalo Bills are going to be without one of their top receivers in the early weeks of training camp and the preseason.
Coach Sean McDermott told reporters at Sunday’s practice Khalil Shakir would be ‘week-to-week’ after suffering a high-ankle sprain.
Shakir was Buffalo’s top receiver during the 2024 NFL season, leading the team in targets (100), catches (76) and receiving yards (821) while tying for second on the team with four touchdown receptions. The slot-man built a strong rapport with Josh Allen and is expected to once again be a key weapon for the reigning NFL MVP.
Here’s what to know about Shakir’s injury and how it could impact Buffalo’s wide receiver depth chart.
Khalil Shakir injury update
Shakir’s injury occurred at Buffalo’s Blue and Red practice Friday, per the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Shakir suffered an apparent injury and walked off the field with trainers. He had his right leg evaluated on the bench before trainers accompanied him up the tunnel. He did not return to practice.
The Bills were off on Saturday before returning to practice Sunday. At that point, McDermott announced Shakir would be ‘week-to-week’ because of a high-ankle sprain.
How long will Khalil Shakir be out?
McDermott didn’t provide a concrete timeline for Shakir’s return, but CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports the 25-year-old receiver is expected to miss 4-5 weeks because of the injury. That makes his status for Buffalo’s season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 7 worth monitoring.
Who is Khalil Shakir’s backup?
Shakir plays primarily in the slot – 498 of his 735 snaps (67.8%) last season came at the position – so either Curtis Samuel or free-agent signee Elijah Moore would figure to take over for Shakir in that role should he miss time. Samuel played in the slot on 43.1% of his snaps with the Bills last season while Moore did so on 54.6% of his snaps with the Cleveland Browns.
Bills WR depth chart
The Bills currently have 14 receivers on their depth chart. They carried just five on their 53-man roster to start last season.
Below is a look at the projected pecking order among the top five receivers on Buffalo’s roster:
Khalil Shakir
Keon Coleman
Joshua Palmer
Elijah Moore
Curtis Samuel
And here is a look at the other receivers battling for roster spots, listed alphabetically by last name:
Kelly Akharaiyi
Deon Cain
Stephen Gosnell
KJ Hamler
Kaden Prather
Tyrell Shavers
Laviska Shenault Jr.
Jalen Virgil
Kristian Wilkerson