The preseason hasn’t even started yet and Buffalo Bills fans are already worried about how injuries will affect the team this season. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir pulled up with a lower-body injury during Friday’s practice, leaving everyone concerned. Fortunately, it’s not an injury that’s expected to sideline him long term. The Bills announced on Sunday that Shakir has a sprained ankle and is officially week to week.
Ankle sprains could definitely sideline players for an extended period of time, considering the severity, but with the regular season five weeks away, there’s optimism Shakir will be back in time for Week 1. However, fans are afraid this ankle sprain could develop into a nagging issue the veteran receiver will have to deal with all season.
Bills WR Khalil Shakir is week to week with a high ankle sprain
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) August 3, 2025
Bills say Khalil Shakir is week to week with an ankle sprain
Again, ankle sprains are a tricky injury where return timetables all depend on the severity. Some players sustain ankle sprains they can play on and others sustain the kind that result in being sidelined six weeks. The hope, of course, is that Shakir’s recovery is on the shorter end. Additionally, whenever he’s back, hopefully the injury will be completely behind him, and not something he has to manage throughout the season— especially late in the year when the stakes are high.
Entering year four of his career, Shakir is coming off a season where he led the Bills in receptions and receiving yards with 76 catches and 821 yards. He also added four receiving touchdowns. While Buffalo is hoping to see a big development from second-year receiver Keon Coleman, Shakir is still considered the top guy until proven otherwise.
That's why Buffalo needs him to be healthy and on the field. In the meantime, the Bills will rely on Coleman, Joshua Palmer, and the other receivers that make up the unit.