Bills $53 Million Playmaker Suffers Injury at Friday’s Practice

This offseason, the Buffalo Bills made a significant move by extending receiver Khalil Shakir’s contract. Buffalo signed the 25-year-old receiver to a four-year, $53 million deal. This contract could keep Shakir with the Bills until the 2030 season.

Last year, the Bills traded veteran receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. Diggs was responsible for being Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s No. 1 target from 2020 to 2023.
In 66 games with Buffalo, Diggs recorded 5,372 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns. Buffalo knew they were going to need a handful of guys to fill his production.

The Bills drafted Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman in the second round of last year’s NFL Draft and traded for Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper before the trade deadline. Both receivers were supposed to help fill Diggs’ role, but Shakir was the one who stepped up.

Khalil Shakir Had A Great 2024 Season

In 15 games last season, Shakir recorded 821 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The former Boise State star became Allen’s No. 1 target last year.

The Bills rewarded Shakir with a new contract, and he’s supposed to take another leap this season.

On Friday night, the Bills held the Blue and Red practice at their home stadium in Orchard Park. Usually, Buffalo holds training camp practices at St. John Fisher’s College, but this time it was different.

In eight days, the Bills will be hosting the New York Giants in their first preseason game. Usually, teams will host a practice at their home stadium a week before the preseason kickoffs for fans to watch. With the Bills having one of the best fan bases in the NFL, it’s hard for them all to get tickets to training camp. Since St John Fisher’s College training camp is so small, many fans miss out on getting tickets to see the Bills. But the practice in the stadium is supposed to bring in a bunch of fans who can’t make it out to the actual site.

Friday night was the first time many Bills fans got to see their team live this season. However, the evening got off to a rocky start. Shakir left the practice with trainers after suffering a right foot/ankle injury.

Shakir Gets Injured At Bills Camp

According to Bills writer Sal Capaccio, “Bills WR Khalil Shakir was being tended to by trainers on the Bills medical bench. Appeared to be looking at his right foot/ankle area. He then walked with them up the tunnel.”

There has been no update on Shakir’s status, but hopefully it’s something that will keep him out for a few days.

The Bills can’t afford to lose Shakir for any games since he is the man in the receiving room.

Buffalo opens up the regular season at home against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Hopefully, Shakir will be in the lineup that game, ready to beat the Ravens again for the second time this calendar year.