When you’re a military baby like Khalil Shakir, you get used to not planting roots. The Buffalo Bills wide receiver’s father was a Master Gunnery Sergeant in the Marines and as a leader, that meant he and the family were constantly moving from post to post across the world.

Shakir was born in Virginia, grew up in Hawaii and Japan before landing in California, where he played soccer and football at Vista Murrieta High School in a town about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego.

The 25-year-old got a taste of what “settling down” could feel like during his time at Boise State, where he helped the Broncos win the Mountain West Conference Championship in 2019 as a sophomore. Shakir was already tracking toward the NFL but decided to stay in school and put up a stellar junior season (52 receptions for 719 yards and six touchdowns) and a star-turn senior campaign (77 passes for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns) that solidifies his NFL prospect status.

He also met his future bride, Sayler, at Boise State. The two married in March 2023 and just welcomed their first child, Sunny Haven, on November 17.

The Bills drafted Shakir in the fifth round in the 2022 NFL Draft and each year, he has continued to both grow trust with quarterback Josh Allen and his value with the Bills organization. Shakir signed a four-year contract extension with Buffalo in February that ties him to the team through 2029, a deal worth $60 million ($32 million of which is guaranteed).

“It’s just a blessing to be able to put down roots in the community. This contract, it’s a payoff for the hard work but it’s just a beginning,” Shakir said. “To be able to provide for my family, it’s everything.”

After being part of Sunday’s epic snow game win over Cincinnati, Shakir just dropped a new collaboration with Kelley Blue Book, highlighting the importance of planning and research in the biggest of life’s decisions.

He took some time this week to talk with EssentiallySports about the collaboration, the snow game, his connection with No. 17 and what lies ahead for the Bills.

You’re just coming off a crazy snow game against the Bengals. What is it like knowing you’re part of a historic game like that now, having caught a touchdown in that crazy game?

It’s such a fun thing to be a part of. I think a lot of the time, reminding myself how blessed I’m to be able to play this game and play this game with the best player in the NFL, Josh Allen.

It’s amazing. So, in that moment, the fourth and four, the crowd’s going crazy and the insane throw that he made, it was a fun moment. I think I got up and just started yelling. It makes you feel like a kid again.

I know you learn the scramble drill early on, especially in today’s game. But for a play to go on that long, how did you make adjustments enough to get in a spot to be open?

It’s funny, there’s snow on the ground. You’re sliding everywhere. In a perfect world, a scrambled drill kinda looks like you’re running to the way he’s scrambling and you may make a move upfield and come right back down. And kind of just show your numbers to him that you’re available.

But I think when there’s snow on the ground, they’re slipping and sliding everywhere. I think anything goes and you’re just running around. And in that moment, I was running towards him. Then I realized I was running outta the room and there was somebody there, so I just started running straight up the field.

And even then I’m looking right ’cause I’m trying to run right because he’s scrambling, right? And then I turn around and the ball’s right there. So it all happened in my head. It all happened so fast, but it’s such a long play in football terms of how long that play went on and how he was able to extend that play.

But for me it was like, I blinked and BOOM! The ball was right on my chest and it’s a touchdown.

Tell me a little bit about the Kelley Blue Book Collaboration. 

I think it’s two worlds collide in regard to making smart and informed decisions. It’s something that for me, before I purchase something, In the way that I live my lifestyle on and off the field, it’s something for me where I’m just making sure that I’m fully prepared and Kelley Blue Book will help you develop a full game plan before you make a decision. So for me, it’s just the perfect partnership.

I’ve always used it for cars. What’s the best car you’ve ever purchased using Kelley Blue Book? 

I’ve had a few different cars now, and I think it’s important to be in Buffalo, getting cars that are good in the snow. I’ll say the 4Runner is amazing. That’s something that me and my wife really rely on, especially this time of year with a few inches of snow on the ground.

I also still have my 2021 Subaru. My teammates clown me about my cars, but I know it’s holding value and it gets me through the snow safe. It’s funny, I’m not chasing status.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not cheap. I just like to spend smart. I’m chasing value. For me, that’s the true flex.

Kelley Blue Book gives you the advantage to make informed decisions. In theory, the offense has the advantage, that extra millisecond, in a snow game. Did you feel it played out that way or at that stage in the snow game, is it just, all bets are off?

I feel like we always have an advantage when we’re playing in Buffalo. Obviously, it’s our home turf, and our fans are amazing. So playing in front of them, yeah, I do see it as an advantage.

But there is snow on the ground for both teams.

When we’re running around, obviously we can see where Josh is going, but sometimes, especially in those scramble drills, the defense does have their back to them they don’t even really know what’s going on.

So you could say in terms of that, yeah, there’s a little advantage in knowing that he might be rolling one way and we’re trying to make ourselves available for him. And defense is chasing you around. It’s even better when you have a quarterback that can fit the ball in the tightest windows and make the most insane throws.

It is so fun to watch. I can’t even imagine the opportunity to play with that and to have some someone like Josh on your side as well. And for him to know instinctively, to trust that you’re going to be there, whatever decision he makes.

It’s a gift for sure. It’s something that we’ve just built throughout the years. It’s not even something that we’ve sat down and said, “Hey, we need to do this better.” 

I think it’s just over the years, for me, knowing obviously how we’re running the play and being where I need to be when he needs me to be there.

And I think doing that, consistently, doing it over and over and over again over the years, has built this great connection. 

You’ve got the Patriots coming up, you’re a veteran now. You guys have been the front-runners. Is there a different vibe among the team in terms of playing from behind in the standings now?

No, it’s just one day at a time. I think if we can go back in time, there are games and plays that we would want back, and games and plays that have changed the course of a game. 

Obviously, there are four games where the outcome wasn’t what we wanted it to be. There are always things that you can go back in that you wanted to change, but I think for us, and the best thing that we do as an organization is just focusing on the next. Just putting one foot in front of the other, not looking back, just forward. It sounds like it’s cliches, but it’s what our team lives by.

We have the Patriots this week, so we’re locked in and focused on them, and we know there are fewer chances to climb, so we need to take care of business.

You’ve got the contract extension. I know you were a military baby, moved around a lot. So you’ve got some stability there now. What is it like seeing that new stadium coming up? I talked to your teammate, Damar Hamlin, a couple of weeks ago and brought up the same thing. Just seeing this new thing coming and knowing you’ll have a chance to make history there? That this team is staying here and that’s going to be an exciting new chapter?

I think it’s incredible. A little bittersweet. Highmark Stadium, there are so many memories there for so many of us. I think of all the amazing players and people and just everything that comes with how amazing our stadium is now. So being part of that is amazing. And being a part of the last season there, we treasure it. We know we’re making memories.

And then you look right across the street. You see this insanely huge stadium. That technology is gonna be a little different. It’s kind of just how things are going today, right? So, we can go over there and visit whenever we want. 

Personally, I haven’t been over there. I kind of wanna wait until it’s done to get the full effect of breaking in the new toy.

But it’s a blessing. As I said, I think it’s important not to take any of this for granted, to be a part of the last season in our stadium now and having the opportunity to play in the new stadium. These are all blessings.

You have mentioned that you used to love bowling, that you have four bowling bowls. So Mookie Betts is probably the most famous athlete who’s also expressed a love of the sport. You and Mookie, who wins? Who’s throwing more strikes?

Mookie for sure. I’m a little rusty. And I’ve kind of transitioned into trying to be good at golf now and that’s kind of taken up a lot of my time. And ‘m realizing it’s gonna take me a lot longer than I thought to be really good at golf. 

You grew up in Japan. Where did football come in there?

I started playing when I was seven years old, my first year of football in Japan.

A couple of military guys started the league because at that point, you had to be a certain age and weigh a certain amount to qualify and I think they just wanted to start a different league. And they lowered the age group and weight limit. So that gave me a chance.

In my first year of football, there were only two teams in my division, and we played each other every Sunday. And it was like eight, nine games. So it was just playing the same team because the league was so new, and then the next year it just expanded. But that’s where the love of it was born.

So Kelley Blue Book’s all about making smart decisions. You partnered with them because you’ve shown a passion for getting your finances right. What’s the best advice you would give to the NFL draft guys coming into the league this year, just in terms of how to handle their finances?

Having the right people in your corner. I think that’s why this partnership is such a blessing for me, because they are built on research and informed decisions and that’s my lifestyle as well. 

Having the right research resources, it’s crucial. But also, I have always been thinking about how I want my life to look down the road, after football.

The money’s coming into your account now and it’s great. You see the numbers going up and you wanna take care of yourself. And yes, it is okay to spoil yourself. But I think when you think about yourself and your family and how you want that to look, you know, 10, 15, 20 years from now, investing that money and taking care of that money, doing it smartly now is what’s gonna set you up for the rest of your life.

You’ve talked in the past about your puppies, Penny and Missy. Huge congratulations on your newborn baby girl, Sunny Haven. The pups have been the babies up until now for you and Sayler, yes?

Absolutely. We got Penny my rookie year and then we rescued Missy, I believe, a year and a half ago.

She’s a little rescue. Pit mix, and I’m looking at her right now, and she’s lying nice, literally on top of my couch where she knows she’s not supposed to be lying. But I guess my rules are I let my dogs do whatever and they know it.

What does having someone like your head coach, Sean McDermott, mean to you and your NFL journey?

Coach McDermott is probably the best coach that I’ve ever had. I think just chill he is in the most intense moments and how he’s able to compose himself and and stay chill.

He always looks so intense. To the outsider, he has this Belichickian air to him.

Well, it’s like, it’s crazy. I think when you’re around him every single day and you see how he operates, it rubs off on all of us. He is a great human being and just how he lives his everyday life one step at a time. He lives what he preaches and he makes sure to tell us every single day. 

Like before games, he’ll tell us like, ‘I don’t want you guys to worry about nothing. All the mistakes you’ve made. If you make mistakes during the game, you come over to me, tap me on the shoulder and I’ll take that mistake on me. I’ll take that for you guys. Like, put your mistakes on me. I want you guys to play free and put your best foot forward.’ 

So I think that shows how great of a coach he is, but also how great of a leader he is. Like he’s just an amazing dude. 

What’s your message to Bills Mafia down the stretch here? 

I would say. We always like to say, “Bill-leive”  So, believe, that’s for sure. And I know they they will continue to do that. I always like to tell Bills Mafia that we appreciate their love and support to our organization and knowing that they’re gonna show up for us every single game day, in any weather condition, it gives us the motivation to go out there and put on a show for them every game day.

So to Bills Mafia, I say this. Down this final stretch, just keep doing what y’all are doing. We love you guys.