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.
The Buffalo Bills are expected to rely more on wide receiver Khalil Shakir as their top returning pass-catcher. However, his first day of mandatory minicamp took a concerning turn.
Reporter Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 noted that during the June 11 practice, the third-year receiver sustained an unspecified injury and had to be taken off the field.
“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.”
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.”
Khalil Shakir’s Role Expansion
Following a subdued rookie year, Shakir showcased significant improvement in 2023, recording 39 receptions for 611 yards and two touchdowns. With the exits of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, he now stands as the team’s primary returning receiver.
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: https://t.co/Yjx3e1vDz2 via @WGR550
— Sal Capaccio 🏈 (@SalSports) June 11, 2024
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady expressed optimism about Shakir’s development for the upcoming season, citing his keen instincts on the field as a key factor.
“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.
