Khalil Shakir settles into new role at Bills: team leader

The Buffalo Bills might have known a thing or two about this last year. Allegedly.

However, they have absolutely nothing to worry about when it comes to the only returning receiver who caught a pass for the team last year.

Khalil Shakir is about as far from a diva as a player can be at the position. He is also poised to fill the significant void left by the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.

“I’ve always been a guy that just does my job, then does what I’m supposed to do – the right way, the way they teach it, the way we do it in prep – and then everything the rest will fall into place,” Shakir said this week. “So for me it’s always been the case, if I’m going to go in there and block 50 times, I’m going to go in there and block 50 times. If I have to go out there and run a route, run a route out and run away 50 times, I’m going to do it. I’m huge in what’s happening.

Unsurprisingly, this approach has earned Shakir the trust and admiration of his teammates and the coaching staff.

“Seeing his development last year was huge,” offensive coordinator Joe Brady said. “He is an extremely brilliant player. For example, the intelligence I’m talking about is Khalil Shakir when he’s out there, and his perception of zones and his understanding of the man, can play outside, play inside.

“He’s everything you look for in a wide receiver.”

Shakir proved over the final 10 games of last season and the Bills’ two playoff games that he was ready to take on a bigger role on offense. He finished those 10 games with 31 catches for 537 yards. In the playoffs, he finished with 10 catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

“You’re going to continue to grow. You’re going to continue to grow,” Brady said. “You’re going to get a feel for defenses and how to run routes and leverage. There’s a lot more to it than just showing itineraries on air. So based on how next (season) plays out, I think there’s a lot on Khalil and luckily his work ethic and his approach, there’s no reason for him to cannot continue to grow.

A few pieces really stood out. Against Miami in the regular season finale, Shakir took a short pass and exploded down the left sideline for a 46-yard gain, hitting a gear he hadn’t shown before. Then, against Pittsburgh in the wild-card round, he scored on a spectacular 17-yard catch in the fourth quarter to ice the victory – showing incredible balance as he dodged defenders on his way to the end zone.

“Honestly, man, I was just playing football,” Shakir said of that play. “It’s funny. People are like, ‘How did you do that? For me, I caught the ball, I just reacted and I just played ball. I wouldn’t say that it It just felt like a statement, but I think it definitely showed a lot of my abilities and what I can do.

This low-key approach sums up Shakir quite well. He’s certainly not a vocal leader – something he’s working to improve – but when he steps into the weight room or between the white lines, he’s determined to set a good example. Considering he’s now the most experienced receiver on the offense, even at just 24 years old entering his third season in the NFL, it’s imperative.

“Obviously it was very visible with Stef last year when he was coming onto the training field and running from one drill to the next, how intense he was and how ready he was every time he touched the training pitch,” Shakir said. “We are all professionals and we all know that here, right now, this practice is the most important thing. We need to make sure we take every rep seriously.

Shakir enters the 2024 season firmly entrenched among the Bills’ top three receivers. Right now, that group also appears to include rookie Keon Coleman and Curtis Samuel, who was signed in free agency.

Given that they are both new to the game along with quarterback Josh Allen, it will take time for chemistry to form. Shakir therefore seems to be heavily relied on, especially at the start of the season.

Ultimately, though, the Bills are expected to spread the ball around a lot more than last year, when Diggs dominated the timeshare area.

“Everybody eats,” is how Brady describes it.

“That’s the mentality he’ll tell us all the time,” Shakir said. “That means you’re running a certain route, you’ve got to go there, and you’ve got to get out of the way for your buddy who’s coming running, or whatever. What goes around comes around. If you have to sit there and run 50 times, do it at full speed 50 times, then that 51st time it might be you running and someone else clears the ball for you, you know?

Shakir understood that Diggs was one of the best receivers in the league, so it made sense to filter the offense through him as much as possible. The Bills don’t have a receiver on the roster at this level, so the “everybody eats” approach might be as much of a necessity as it is a choice.

“Our mentality as a catcher is everyone is trying to learn every spot so we can play fast and not have to think about it,” Shakir said. “If you’re playing Z and you have to take a chance so the F can open up, you have to do it. Then, five games later, things will probably change. I really think just trying to get the ball out there and spread it around, and getting everyone open, getting everyone involved, just allows us to have a lot more goals. As a group, we all know what we’re doing.

Shakir finished last season averaging 7.2 yards after catch per reception. Among wide receivers, he ranks third in the NFL behind San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel and Kansas City’s Rashee Rice. With the goal of improving this skill by 2024, Shakir spent a lot of time in the weight room this offseason to add the strength needed to make tackles when necessary.

“It’s weird right now because we’re not in pads, we’re not hitting, we’re not tackling,” he said, “but I think it’s more just a mentality, from the moment you catch the ball right now, working on the field, whether the guy spotted you right away or not It’s just putting in your brain that when you catch the ball and you make a. movement, do it now, (so) then when the leggings are on, it happens, you know?