On the first day of Bills minicamp, Buffalo can’t escape the injury bug
The Buffalo Bills wrapped up their first day of 2024 mandatory minicamp with wide receiver Khalil Shakir leaving the field early, suffering what Sal Capaccio termed “some sort of lower body injury.”
Capaccio went on to state that Shakir was observed in conversation with team trainers before limping off the practice field and into the fieldhouse. As a result, Shakir didn’t return to finish the day’s session with his teammates.
Bills minicamp is over for today. WR Khalil Shakir left practice early with what appeared to be some sort of lower body injury. He was chatting with trainers for a while, then limped off the field and into the fieldhouse and did not return.
— Sal Capaccio (@SalSports) June 11, 2024
At this time of the year, injuries tend to pop up with a frequency similar to that of regular-season play. Players returning to the practice field in an organized manner often leads to sudden increases in physical work, and with that comes injury.
The concern here is the ambiguity of Shakir’s injury being termed “lower body.” Capaccio will be the first to admit that he’s not a doctor, though injuries that involve the lower body are usually tell-tale by observing one’s gate.
After receiving the news that linebacker Matt Milano was to practice in a limited capacity on day one of minicamp following an extensive lower leg injury last season in Week 5, the hope is that Shakir hasn’t been dealt a similar fate. We of course have nowhere near any of the required information about Shakir’s injury to term things as serious as Milano’s situations. The encouraging news is that he reportedly limped off the field, rather than having a cart brought out for him. As such, it could by a myriad of things.
Entering his third season, Shakir is likely to be counted on heavily as the lone wide receiver who has built in-season chemistry with quarterback Josh Allen. Last season, Shakir caught an impressive 39 passes on 45 targets for 611 yards and two touchdowns, adding one carry for 10 yards. Now that receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis are no longer part of the equation, Shakir figures to absorb a healthy share of looks. That is, if he can stay healthy and available on game days. The good news is that it’s just the beginning of June.