Joe Brady hinted Khalil Shakir can play outside, raising the possibility that the Buffalo Bills receiver could see an expanded role and a breakout 2026 season.
There are plenty of questions surrounding the Buffalo Bills entering the 2026 season, but one of the more intriguing ones has nothing to do with wins, losses or even first-year head coach Joe Brady.
It's what Brady plans to do with Khalil Shakir.
Since arriving in Buffalo, Shakir has established himself as one of Josh Allen's most dependable targets. He's become the Bills' primary slot receiver, thriving as a reliable option over the middle and near the line of scrimmage while consistently creating yards after the catch. But despite that success, there's reason to wonder if Buffalo has only scratched the surface of what he can become.
Brady hinted earlier this offseason that Shakir isn't limited to playing inside. He believes the receiver is capable of lining up on the outside as well, and if that belief translates onto the field, it could significantly change both Shakir's production and the Bills' offense.
It's also one of the biggest unknowns surrounding Brady's first season as head coach.
Was Shakir primarily a slot receiver because that was simply his best position? Or was it more a product of the offensive philosophy the Bills operated under during Sean McDermott's tenure?
If Brady is willing to move him around more frequently, Buffalo may discover it has a much more versatile weapon than opponents have seen to this point.
The numbers suggest there could be room for another level.
Last season, Shakir caught 72 passes on 95 targets while posting a 75.8% catch rate. He finished with 719 receiving yards, averaged 10 yards per reception, and scored four touchdowns, all while accounting for a 19% target share. He also ranked among the NFL's leaders in yards after the catch, finishing fourth in the league despite seeing significantly fewer opportunities than many of the game's top receivers.
That production naturally raises another question. What happens if those opportunities increase?
Former Bills receiver Stevie Johnson recently made the case that Shakir deserves to be mentioned alongside some of the league's premier possession receivers, comparing his playing style more closely to Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown. The comparison isn't about saying Shakir is already that caliber of player. It's about recognizing how similar their skill sets are.
Both excel after the catch. Both can line up inside or outside. Both thrive on timing routes and consistently create separation underneath before turning short completions into bigger gains.
St. Brown, however, operates with a much larger workload.
He received 172 targets last season, catching 117 passes for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns. That's more than 70 additional targets compared to Shakir.
It's impossible to know exactly how Shakir would respond with that kind of volume, but it's a fair question to ask whether his production would jump considerably if Brady made him an even bigger focal point of the offense.
That's why Shakir may be one of the most fascinating players to watch throughout training camp and the regular season.
The Bills know what they have in him as a slot receiver. What they don't know—at least publicly—is whether they have a receiver capable of becoming a true every-down offensive centerpiece.
If Brady believes they do, 2026 could be the season Shakir evolves from one of Buffalo's most reliable weapons into one of the NFL's most productive receivers. And if that happens, it may end up being one of the biggest changes Joe Brady brings to the Bills offense.
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