As Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills look to take the next step and elevate the offense this offseason, they have been hit with obstacle after obstacle. Injuries to wideouts like Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel and Tyrell Shavers were, unfortunately, just a harbinger of what was to come.
Star wideout Khalil Shakir sustained a high ankle sprain on Friday during the team's Blue & Red practice in front of the home fans at Highmark Stadium. While it was initially reported that he would be week-to-week, Matt Zenitz just confirmed that Shakir will miss at least 4-5 weeks.
This is both bad for Shakir personally, but also for the team, as the Bills open up the season in just over a month on September 7. Shakir could potentially be unavailable for the season opener against the Baltimore Ravens, depending on how his recovery process goes.
Khalil Shakir's injury just changed the Bills' wide receiver competition
Buffalo was hosting a bit of a wide receiver competition this summer, but Shakir, who is the team's certified No. 1 target after catching 76 passes for 821 yards and four touchdowns last season, was exempt from this. The battle was simply to see who would start and contribute most alongside him.
Second-year player Keon Coleman should be the next in line, and free agent additions like Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore could fill in as well. Unfortunately, they will be playing slightly out of position as they fill in for Shakir instead of working in the roles they'll be in when he returns.
With players like Moore, Samuel and Shavers all slowly returning from injury now, it feels like the wide receiver position is as open as it can be. Even end-of-roster players like Laviska Shenault Jr., KJ Hamler, Jalen Virgil and Kristian Wilkerson are now firmly in the hunt with this wrench thrown into things.
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Wilkerson has been the talk of camp lately, as the former New England Patriot and Las Vegas Raider could sneak onto the roster if he continues to perform well. This offense will still be predicated on the run, but there is a chance that Sean McDermott keeps six wideouts given Shakir's injury.
It is unlikely he will begin the year on the IR, but there is a less-than-zero chance that he misses the season opener. This would make things complicated in terms of roster building, but it is very possible that the team has to keep an extra receiver until he returns.
Shakir getting healthy is the most important thing for this Buffalo offense, as the backup and supporting wide receiver roles will sort themselves out in time. But this is just another brutal blow to Allen and the team, who need these reps if they want to maximize their chances in 2025.