Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir is expected to miss four to five weeks due to a high ankle sprain suffered last Friday, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Head coach Sean McDermott said on Sunday (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter) that Shakir was considered “week to week.”
The fourth-year wideout stepped up after the departure of Stefon Diggs last offseason, leading Buffalo with 76 receptions and 821 receiving yards in 2024 and earning himself a four-year, $53MM extension this offseason.
With little more than five weeks until the Bills’ regular season debut against the Ravens, Shakir’s recovery will have to go smoothly for him to play in Week 1. He was the Bills’ most active pass-catcher in both matchups vs. Baltimore last season. He caught 10 of his 12 targets for 129 across the two contests, the latter of which was a playoff win that sent Buffalo to the AFC Championship Game.
The Bills have a number of options to fill Shakir’s role in the slot during his absence. Veteran Curtis Samuel will likely be the next man up after rotating into the slot in Buffalo last year, and offseason signings Elijah Moore and Josh Palmer bring some experience there as well.
The Bills could also roll out more two tight end formations with Dalton Kincaid or Dawson Knox split into the slot. Still, Shakir’s injury doesn’t seem so significant that it will require major adjustments to Buffalo’s offense this season.