Bills Get Bad News as Top WR Lands on Injury Report
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Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir takes the field before the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 12, 2025.
The Buffalo Bills are looking to bounce back from a stunning loss to the Miami Dolphins and try to climb back into the race for the AFC East, and might need to do it with an ailing wide receiver.
The team announced on Wednesday that top pass-catcher Khalil Shakir was limited at the first practice of the week with a rib injury. Head coach Sean McDermott revealed that Shakir was hurt during the loss to the Dolphins, which dropped the Bills two full games behind the New England Patriots for supremacy in the division.
Khalil Shakir Playing Hurt
Shakir was able to finish Sunday’s game against the Dolphins, making seven receptions for 58 yards and returning one punt for seven yards. Shakir has been the top target for quarterback Josh Allen since the departure of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis prior to the 2024 season, leading the team this year with 45 receptions for 457 yards.
As SI.com’s Alex Brasky noted, the injury could be a setback even if it doesn’t keep Shakir off the field for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Without knowing the significance of the injury, an ailing rib is a concern for a wide receiver with a play style similar to Shakir’s,” Brasky wrote. “The slot receiver is used heavily in the screen game, which causes him to be swarmed by defenders much like a running back. His use in the return game is also something that may need to be adjusted if he continues to feel lingering effects from his injury throughout the week.”
The Bills have been hit hard by injuries, though most of the pain has been focused on the defensive side of the ball. The Bills lost several starters to long-term injuries, placing safety Taylor Rapp, defensive tackle Ed Oliver, and edge rusher Michael Hoecht on injured reserve.
Bills Add Help at Wide Receiver
The Bills have struggled to get consistent production from their wide receiving corps this season, with the group often failing to get separation from defenders and leaving Allen under increased pressure.
The team brought in some help this week, signing former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman to their practice squad. The 27-year-old is a three-time Super Bowl champion and told reporters this week that it feels a bit odd to join a former rival.
“It’s kind of weird a little bit, going against these guys for the last six years,” Hardman said, via Buffalo’s WGZR.
Hardman added that he was excited to make a difference in Buffalo and get another chance in the NFL after waiting for a call throughout the first half of the season.
“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Hardman said. “I’m glad to be here and they welcomed me with open arms, so I’m happy about that. They’re definitely joking with me about the past matches that we had in the years, but it’s fun. I’m enjoying it … I’m happy that they called and gave me a chance and opportunity, so I’m grateful for that.”
Cowboys Add 6-Foot-4, 307-Pound Lineman Ahead of Raiders Showdown
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Head coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys, losers of two in a row and three of their last four, have a golden opportunity to right the ship coming out of their bye week when they take on one of the most disappointing teams of 2025, the 2-7 Las Vegas Raiders, in a Monday Night Football matchup.
But the Cowboys are taking no chances, at least with their offensive line depth, after losing a practice squad lineman on Tuesday when former Washington Commanders third round draft pick Geron Christian was given a shot at an active roster spot as the Denver Broncos swooped in and signed him away.
With the 6-foot-5, 302-pound offensive tackle now departed, the Cowboys wasted no time in replacing him with another massive lineman who plays the same tackle position. On Wednesday, Dallas signed 6-foot-4, 307-pound lineman Marcellus Johnson to their practice squad, according to the team’s transaction report.
Cowboys OL Has Held its Own
The Cowboys’ offensive line has not been at the root of the team’s problems, but at 3-5-1 and hopes of returning to the postseason after missing out last year rapidly dwindling, Dallas cannot afford to spring any new leaks. Quarterback Dak Prescott has benefited from the third-lowest sack percentage in the NFL (4.2), going down behind the line of scrimmage just 15 times in nine games, the seventh-lowest total in the league.
Though his offensive line has largely managed to protect him from sacks, Prescott has nonetheless found himself under pressure more than he, or the Cowboys, would like. His average time-to-throw of 2.6 seconds ranks him only 19th in the NFL, among quarterbacks who have taken at least 100 snaps this season.
Yet to Play in an NFL Game
It would probably take a series of injuries to allow Johnson to take his turn on the active roster protecting Prescott. The difference between the 2024 undrafted free agent and his predecessor Christian is pronounced.
Where Christian has appeared in 63 NFL games, starting 25 for six different teams over seven seasons, Johnson has yet to be on the field for a single snap in game that counts. Since signing a $2.85 million, three-year contract with the New York Giants in 2024 — a contract that was terminated almost immediately in favor of a $225,000 practice squad deal — Johnson has bounced around between the practice squads of the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts for two seasons.
Compared to College Teammate
When the Giants signed Johnson initially, they guaranteed $170,000 of his contract, the most they gave any UDFA in their 2024 class.
The Colts released Johnson from their practice squad on October 14, and he remained without a football home for almost a month before the Cowboys signed him on Wednesday.
At the time of the 2024 draft, one NFL insider said that he had rated Johnson as “a legitimate NFL player,” and graded him “almost as high” as his former Eastern Michigan teammate, Sidy Sow.
Sow, a 6-foot-5, 318-pound offensive lineman was drafted in 2023, in the third round, by the New England Patriots. The Patriots released Sow in August, and the 27-year-old lineman was subsequently signed to the Houston Texans‘ practice squad. The Texans elevated Sow to their active roster on November 8.
