Bills may add Khalil Shakir to lengthy minicamp injury list

The Buffalo Bills started Tuesday's minicamp practice missing seven players due to injury and lost starting WR Khalil Shakir to an apparent injury during team drills.

Jan 21, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills were banged up enough entering mandatory minicamp, and after Day 1, they may have to put one of their main wide receivers on the shelf. At the start, there were seven players unavailable due to injury with three additional players participating on a limited basis.

Then, third-year pro Khalil Shakir reportedly left the practice field early and did not return after sustaining an apparent lower-body injury on Tuesday. According to WGR's Sal Capaccio, Shakir "was chatting with trainers for a while, then limped off the field and into the fieldhouse."

Batavia Daily News reporter Alex Brasky said the injury happened during team drills when Shakir "went up to make a catch during 7 on 7 and came down hard as the pass fell incomplete." Live contact is prohibited by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, so it's safe to assume the injury was not the result of a hit.

Injury reports are not issued at this time of the year, so it will be telling whether or not Shakir is back out on the field for Wednesday's practice. Even if the injury is minor, the Bills may act conservatively and shut him down for the remainder of the three-day camp.

Shakir, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick, emerged as a viable weapon last season. He caught 39 of 45 targets while averaging 15.7 yards per reception over 17 regular season appearances. The former Boise State standout made touchdown catches in both of Buffalo's playoff games.

The 24-year-old Shakir, who is the lone receiver on the roster to have caught a pass from Josh Allen in an NFL game, is in line for a significant role this season after playing 52 percent of offensive snaps in 2023.