The Buffalo Bills have one task this season and that’s to make a Super Bowl run. As they enter the NFL preseason period where they will play Russell Wilson‘s New York Giants, head coach Sean McDermott has given quarterback Josh Allen concerning news about one of his key weapons.
It’s about Khalil Shakir, Allen‘s most prominent wide receiver. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that “WR Khalil Shakir is ‘week to week’ with a high ankle sprain.” This puts in jeopardy his status for week 1.
A high ankle sprain is concerning too, because it’s a tricky injury to recover from, especially for a player like Shakir. He is a slot receiver, which means his routes tend to have plenty of cuts and need very precise changes of direction. Hence, your ankle is looking at plenty of activity, as opposed as a deep-threat wideout who is mostly running vertical.
Shakir solidified himself as the Bills’ number one option
Entering his fourth year in the NFL, Shakir has jumped in level year after year. His first season, he had just 161 yards, but his sophomore year saw him stack 611 yards. It was his third season the one who made him a big-time player for the team. Shakir had 76 catches for 821 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.
Without him, the Bills wideout room becomes slim. Keon Coleman is entering his second year but his rookie season was not stellar. It was a rollercoaster season. Veterans Joshua Palmer and Curtis Samuel are also called to step up for the team, but they’ve never been as productive as Shakir.
Allen can create magic
Josh Allen is one of those few quarterbacks in the NFL that can produce absolute magic without having a certified elite weapon. He would absolutely love to have one, but he can still give the Bills a chance to win every game without it.
Still, the Bills hope Shakir’s injury heals before Week 1 and he doesn’t suffer any setbacks. Sean McDermott knows this team is dying to get a Super Bowl and Buffalo has a top 3 quarterback, so the expectations are high. If Shakir is not right, he, as the head coach, needs to find and create new weapons for his star signal-caller.
Bills’ preseason schedule might not see Allen
Plenty of teams rest their starters during the preseason, so Shakir would probably not play anyway. Same with Allen. At best, Allen will play a couple of series and then sit out.
It all starts on August 9th as the Bills play the Giants, Russell Wilson‘s new team. Then, on August 17th, they visit Chicago to play the Bears. Finally, they go to Tampa Bay on August 23rd as they close the preseason versus the Buccaneers.