The Buffalo Bills are managing receiver injuries ahead of their upcoming game. Receivers Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers sustained torn ACLs during the team's wild-card victory over the Jaguars.
As of Friday morning, the team's roster included three healthy receivers: Khalil Shakir, Brandin Cooks, and Keon Coleman. Following this, Curtis Samuel was activated from injured reserve, and Mecole Hardman Jr. was elevated from the practice squad.
During the regular season, Khalil Shakir was the Bills' leading receiver with 719 yards. Tight ends Dalton Kincaid (571 yards) and Dawson Knox (417 yards) ranked second and third in receiving yards, respectively.
Former Bills receiver Elijah Moore, now with the Broncos, commented on the situation, stating, "They got a lot of guys banged up, but they don’t really throw it to the receivers anyway," according to Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
The five receivers available for Sunday's game accumulated a total of 175 targets during the regular season. This represents 36.5 percent of the 479 total passes thrown by the team in 2025. Individual target counts were: Shakir (95), Coleman (59), Cooks (11), Samuel (6), and Hardman (1).
In the most recent game, these five receivers received 18 of the 35 targets. Shakir caught all 12 passes thrown to him, Cooks had three catches on five targets, and Coleman was targeted once for a 36-yard gain.
The team's performance relies significantly on quarterback Josh Allen. Should Khalil Shakir face increased defensive attention from the Denver defense, other receivers such as Cooks, Coleman (who was a healthy scratch four times in the regular season), Samuel (who has not played since Week 10), or Hardman (who appeared in only two games) would need to contribute offensively.