During the Red & Blue practice at Highmark Stadium on Friday, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir sustained an injury. The 25-year-old wide receiver will be sidelined for many weeks due to an ankle injury.
Shakir’s injury is expected to last five weeks, which means he might miss the Bills’ opening game.
Though there is still plenty of time before the Bills’ season begins, Buffalo ought to consider alternatives to Shakir.
Not Many Free Agent WRs Available
Amari Cooper is one of the limited number of receiver options available. Cooper did not end the season with more than 300 receiving yards when playing for Buffalo in the second half of the previous campaign.
The Bills have little chance of acquiring Cooper or even free agency receiver Gabe Davis. Davis joined the Jacksonville Jaguars last year after playing for Buffalo from 2020 to 2023.
Given the dearth of available receivers, Buffalo may be able to acquire one through trade. Receiver Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders requested a trade last week.
With his $68 million contract coming to an end, the 28-year-old receiver is looking for a new contract. With McLaurin’s 30th birthday coming up next month, Washington is unsure if they would grant his request.
At 30, a lot of receivers start to lose speed, which would be detrimental for Washington. The squad may suffer if the Commanders have McLaurin committed to a long-term contract and he is unable to participate.
The Bills Urged To Trade For McLaurin
In short, the Buffalo Bills are in win-now mode, and their opportunity to compete for a Super Bowl is very much in the present. Adding a wide receiver like Terry McLaurin could be a big help, and The Athletic floated the idea of trading Curtis Samuel along with a 2026 fifth-round pick to land him.
According to The Athletic, the Bills could really benefit from a true No. 1 receiver—but only if the right deal comes along. McLaurin would be a great match for quarterback Josh Allen, but there’s some uncertainty since he’s likely looking for a new contract, and Buffalo is already tight on cap space. Still, if the Bills could unload Samuel’s $6.9 million guaranteed salary and throw in a Day 3 draft pick, a deal for McLaurin might make sense. From Washington’s side, Samuel could at least step in as a short-term starter while they figure out their next move.
The Athletic also noted that McLaurin’s age and his need for a new contract could actually work in the Bills’ favor when it comes to negotiating. By clearing Curtis Samuel’s salary from the 2025 books, Buffalo could potentially create enough cap space to afford McLaurin’s deal. They might also take advantage of some contract restructures they haven’t used yet and backload McLaurin’s new contract to make it more manageable. Still, with young receivers like Keon Coleman and Joshua Palmer on the roster, the Bills may prefer to evaluate their potential this season rather than commit to a major move for McLaurin.
Adding to the storyline, Samuel is entering his ninth NFL season and previously played for Washington from 2021 to 2023. A trade like this would carry some poetic irony—since both he and McLaurin were college teammates at Ohio State, it would be a rare case of former Buckeyes effectively swapping teams through a trade.