Teammates and opponents know Khalil Shakir as a fierce competitor who’s annoying to tackle.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was the latest defender who watched hopelessly as Shakir spun out of his grasp and ran 43 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of the Buffalo Bills’ Week 4 win at Highmark Stadium.
Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir ranks fifth among NFL receivers in yards after the catch this season.
Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Shakir’s tackle-breaking seems to defy physics. Even the slippery 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver couldn’t explain how he scored against the Saints after he was facing his own end zone. Few in the NFL can make run-after-the-catch plays like him. Outside of One Bills Drive, Shakir is viewed as one of the league’s most underrated players at his position. But teammates and coaches have called him the best in the world since he became a fixture in their offense.
“He’s honestly one of the better athletes I’ve ever seen, especially at our position,” marveled Tyrell Shavers, a 6-4 receiver who blocked for Shakir on the touchdown against New Orleans. “Once he gets the ball in his hands, it’s fun to watch.”
The remarkable plays aren’t the only reason why Shakir is beloved in Western New York. On Aug. 30, eight days before the now-unbeaten Bills opened their season against the Baltimore Ravens, Shakir and his wife, Sayler, hosted a dog adoption event at Northtown Toyota in Amherst with Nickel City Canine and six other local organizations.
Shakir didn’t stand still or sit at a table while volunteers handled the dogs and families decided whether to take one home. He walked around throughout the event to pet each animal, greet each person and thank staff that were eager to help the Shakir Family Foundation at its second adoption event. His mom and close friends helped out. One of his teammates, tight end Dawson Knox, lent his time to their cause.
Forty dogs found a home that afternoon, including one pit bull mix that had zero applications for nine months.
“I don’t even know if he realized it, but he’s such an influence in Buffalo that people just want to follow anything that he does,” said Alyssa Johnson, social media and events coordinator for Nickel City Canine. “Just one picture of him with a dog, the dog will immediately get adopted. There will be months where the dog has no interest and all we have to do is get a picture of the dog with Khalil.”
Through the Shakir Family Foundation, Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir has held two events that led to the adoption of at least 55 dogs.
Courtesy of Nickel City Canine Rescue
Khalil and Sayler were free on a Saturday in May 2024 when they saw a post on social media in which Bills general manager Brandon Beane encouraged fans to attend a pet adoption event at KeyBank Center.
The couple got their first dog, a golden retriever named Penny, two years earlier when Khalil was preparing for his first NFL training camp with the Bills. He didn’t want Sayler to be alone in a new area while he was at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford.
The Shakirs weren’t planning to adopt when they arrived at KeyBank Center. Penny was less than 2 years old, and their travel plans that offseason would have made it difficult to add a puppy to their growing family. But as soon as Khalil walked by the same pen a second time, Sayler knew they were going home with a dog.
“I realized that he was already in love with her,” Sayler said, laughing over the phone while recalling how her husband sheepishly asked whether they could keep Missy, an 11-month-old pit bull mix.
The joy that Penny and Missy brought to the Shakirs’ home made them contemplate how they could save more dogs. Organizations like Nickel City Rescue and Buddy’s Second Chance Rescue have an influx of dogs during different times each year. Both have events each month – including Nickel City Rescue’s at Frightworld in North Buffalo on Oct. 25. Unfortunately, there can be a negative perception of rescue dogs, especially pit bulls. Shakir beamed at his locker stall Wednesday at One Bills Drive while describing the profound impact they’ve had on his family. He joked that if he had his way, they’d live on a two-acre farm with 10 dogs that could roam free.
“It’s more opportunities for families to have another bundle of joy,” he said. “People take for granted how special animals really are, the impact they can have on a family, especially with dogs. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, gloomy, sun’s out, whatever, the moment I walk into my house every single day, my dogs are smiling, jumping on me, happy as can be. It’s just a different type of joy.”
In collaboration with adoption agencies, and through the support of local businesses, the Shakir Family Foundation held its first event in October 2024. Khalil and Sayler didn’t know what to expect. In a few hours, 600 people walked into Resurgence Brewing Company. Fifteen dogs were adopted and approximately $15,000 was raised toward their cause.
So many people attended their event this August that Sayler lost count. Within the first hour, one of the seven adoption agencies received applications on each puppy it brought. People crowded into Northtown Toyota to meet Shakir and support the family’s cause. A few weeks later, the couple learned that 40 dogs were adopted. They’re not stopping, either.
“It was wall-to-wall people from an hour before it started to the time it finished,” Sayler said. “It was incredible how big of a turnout it was. Now, next year we’re expecting bigger, better and more dogs and hopefully getting more numbers out. That would be incredible.”
On the field, Shakir has become one of the most frequent targets for the NFL’s reigning MVP, Josh Allen.
Shakir’s 120 targets since the start of the 2024 season are the most on the Bills. Last season, he set career highs in catches (76), yards (821) and touchdowns (four) while ranking second among NFL receivers in yards after the catch (618). The performance convinced Beane to sign Shakir to a four-year contract extension worth up to $60.2 million, and he’s shown through four games this season how important he is to one of the best offenses in the league.
Shakir ranks second on the team this season in receptions (16), targets (20) and receiving yards (190), and he already has half as many touchdowns (two) as he did in 17 games last season. His 140 yards after the catch are fifth-most among NFL receivers. Football fans outside Western New York may overlook Shakir, but here, he’s beloved for his impact on and off the field.
“His contact balance is incredible,” said Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady. “His ability to stay grounded and be able to put his foot in the dirt. But at the end of the day, he does some of the things that I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s why you are who you are.’ And that’s why I’m glad he’s on our team, cause you really can’t coach it.”
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