Khalil Shakir isn’t buying the idea that Joshua Palmer’s first season in Buffalo tells the full story.
Palmer arrived last offseason as the Bills’ first free-agent addition, landing a three-year deal in a move that surprised plenty of people around the team. Buffalo was committing more than $10 million per year to a receiver who had never topped 800 yards in a season, and the early skepticism came fast.
The numbers from 2025 didn’t do Palmer many favors. Injuries limited him to 12 games, and he missed both playoff contests as well.
He finished with 303 receiving yards and did not score a touchdown. That put him among three Bills receivers who didn’t reach the end zone last season, alongside Brandin Cooks and Elijah Moore.
Still, Shakir pushed back when asked about Palmer on the Centered on Buffalo podcast with Eric Wood.
“ He’s probably one of, if not the hardest worker I know. I mean, the dude is up before all of us, he’s working in the training room and weight room longer than us.
He’s in there before us. ”
“ I don’t think people realize the work that needs to be put on to go out there and compete at a high level. A lot of times we take for granted that being out there and being hurt is inevitable, it’s going to happen, it’s football. ”
That’s the part of Palmer’s season Shakir wanted people to understand: the grind behind the scenes doesn’t disappear just because the box score is light. Injuries can wreck a player’s rhythm, and they can derail an offense’s timing too. Palmer never really got rolling with the unit, which helps explain why the impact never matched the contract.
There’s also a new wrinkle in Buffalo entering 2026. Joe Brady, who was the offensive coordinator, is now the head coach. That change could matter for Palmer as he heads into the second year of his deal.
For now, the conversation around Palmer is simple: last year fell short, and he has to answer for it. But one teammate is making sure the story doesn’t stop at the stat line.
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