Getty Khalil Shakir catches a touchdown in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Buffalo Bills are expected to lean more heavily on wide receiver Khalil Shakir as their top returning pass-catcher, but his first day of mandatory minicamp ended on a scary note.
Reporter Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 reported that the third-year receiver was hurt during the June 11 practice and taken off the field with an unspecified injury.
“Bills minicamp is over for today. WR Khalil Shakir left practice early with what appeared to be some sort of lower body injury,” Capaccio wrote on X. “He was chatting with trainers for a while, then limped off the field and into the fieldhouse and did not return.”
While the extent of the injury was not immediately clear, it could give a scare to a Bills offense that will look very different in 2024.
Bills Have Not Updated Khalil Shakir’s Status
The Bills had not given an update on Shakir in the hours after he first went down. Reporter Alex Brasky of the Batavia Daily noted that the injury came as Shakir fell hard to the turf during a passing drill.
“Khalil Shakir sustained an apparent injury near the beginning of team drills at #Bills Tuesday mandatory minicamp,” Brasky wrote on X. “Shakir went up to make a catch during 7 on 7 and came down hard as the pass fell incomplete. Trainers tended to him then later he left the practice field.”
The Bills did get some other good news on Tuesday as linebacker Matt Milano took the field for the first time since suffering a fractured leg last season.
Matt Milano returned to the field, but Khalil Shakir left practice early. Seven other players did not participate for injury reasons. More and what Sean McDermott said about all of it from Tuesday’s Bills mandatory minicamp: t.co/Yjx3e1vDz2 via @WGR550
This is the second straight season that the Bills have seen some drama surrounding a top wide receiver on the opening day of minicamp. Last year, head coach Sean McDermott sent Diggs home early after an unspecified discussion with the coaching staff. Diggs, who was traded to the Houston Texans this offseason, had been a flashpoint for offseason drama as he shared cryptic posts that appeared to hint at unhappiness with the team.
Khalil Shakir’s Growing Role
After a relatively quiet rookie season, Shakir came on in 2023 with 39 receptions for 611 yards and two touchdowns. He is the team’s top returning receiver after the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady said he expects to see more growth from Shakir in the coming season, noting that he has strong instincts on the field.
“The intelligence that I talk about, that is Khalil Shakir,” Brady said during OTAs, via Matt Bove of WKBW. “When he’s out there, and his feel of the zones, and understanding man coverage, he can play outside or play inside, you know he’s everything you look for in a wide receiver.”
The Bills are also expected to lean heavily on rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, their top pick in the draft. The team has also added a number of veteran pass-catchers, including Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Chase Claypool, and Mack Hollins.
Tight end Dalton Kincaid, coming off a breakout rookie season, is also expected to take on a bigger role in the offense following the departures of Diggs and Davis.