Cook is not present for the start of voluntary OTAs on Tuesday, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said it's "not fair" to assume Cook's absence at voluntary OTAs is related to his desire for a new contract, adding that "he'll be ready to go" for mandatory offseason activities. Nonetheless, coming off a 2024 campaign in which he scored 18 touchdowns (16 rushing) despite playing just 48 percent of offensive snaps in his 16 regular-season appearances, Cook has been open about his desire for both a substantial extension and increased playing time. Still, Buffalo has Ray Davis entering Year 2, and the team opted to re-sign pending free agent Ty Johnson, indicating some level of commitment to a backfield rotation. How much attention the team plays to the running back position in the 2025 NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday, could be telling as to Cook's odds of attaining a new deal. He's currently heading into the final year of his rookie contract after having compiled back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

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Status
ACTIVEPrevious game (@ KC 1/26)
Latest James Cook news
2024 Postseason Rushing
2024 Postseason Receiving
2024 Season Rushing
2024 Season Receiving

James Cook Career Stats
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Career Stats - Rushing
CARYDSAVGTDLNGFDFUM53326384.920651256Career Stats - Receiving
RECTGTSYDSAVGTDLNGYAC971248839.174854Rushing
Receiving
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Career Stats - Rushing
CARYDSAVGTDLNGFDFUM1064644.4433260Career Stats - Receiving
RECTGTSYDSAVGTDLNGYAC1415906.402334Rushing
Receiving

James Cook
Season Stats
Previous Game (@ KC 1/26)
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Rushing
CARYDSAVGTDLNGFDFUM2071,0094.91665481Receiving
RECTGTSYDSAVGTDLNGYAC32382588.122816.1 -
Rushing
CARYDSAVGTDLNGFDFUM532725.1333150Receiving
RECTGTSYDSAVGTDLNGYAC666410.702321.3

James Cook
Game Log
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Regular SeasonrushingreceivingDateOppResultCARYDSAVGTDLNGFDRECTGTSYDSAVGTDSLNGYAC1/5L 16-2310282.8172-------12/29W 40-1415533.5183-------12/22W 24-21111009.1146333268.71163012/15W 48-42141057.524141128280281112/8L 42-446203.30802294.5051312/1W 35-10141077.616531113130131511/17W 30-219202.22625671.4032611/10W 30-2019804.21204135505911/3W 30-2710444.40132562550112210/27W 31-10171116.5218833227.30122110/20W 34-1012322.71111-------10/6L 20-2320824.1112523178.5024209/29L 10-359394.308111990949/23W 47-1011393.51132454812019409/12W 31-1011787.12495111717117189/8W 34-2819713.70153333210.702531
Regular Season Totals 20710094.8166548323825810228260 -
PostseasonrushingreceivingDateOppResultCARYDSAVGTDLNGFDRECTGTSYDSAVGTDSLNGYAC1/26L 29-3213856.52334334916.3023531/19W 27-2517673.901143315507231/12W 31-7231205.21197-------
Postseason Totals 532725.233315666410.702376

James Cook Player Profile
Career History


James Cook Latest News
Skipping voluntary workouts

Cook is not present for the start of voluntary OTAs on Tuesday, Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo reports. Bills general manager Brandon Beane said it's "not fair" to assume Cook's absence at voluntary OTAs is related to his desire for a new contract, adding that "he'll be ready to go" for mandatory offseason activities. Nonetheless, coming off a 2024 campaign in which he scored 18 touchdowns (16 rushing) despite playing just 48 percent of offensive snaps in his 16 regular-season appearances, Cook has been open about his desire for both a substantial extension and increased playing time. Still, Buffalo has Ray Davis entering Year 2, and the team opted to re-sign pending free agent Ty Johnson, indicating some level of commitment to a backfield rotation. How much attention the team plays to the running back position in the 2025 NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday, could be telling as to Cook's odds of attaining a new deal. He's currently heading into the final year of his rookie contract after having compiled back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
Wants extension, more playing time

Cook is seeking a contract extension and said he'd like to get more playing time as well, Ryan Talbot of newyorkupstate.com reports. Cook scored 18 touchdowns during the 2024 regular season despite playing just 48 percent of snaps in his 16 appearances. He got a carry or target on 50.5 percent of his snaps, which helped make up for the modest playing time and allowed for a second straight 1,000-yard rushing season. He's perhaps the most obvious TD regression candidate in the league for 2025, but he can make up for any losses in per-touch productivity if the Bills give him a larger workload. That's far from guaranteed, of course, considering Cook is one of the league's smaller lead backs (listed at 190 pounds) and has 2024 fourth-round pick Ray Davis behind him on the depth chart. Ty Johnson also got a lot of playing time in 2024, mostly in clear passing situations, but he's scheduled for unrestricted free agency, whereas Cook has one year remaining on his rookie contract.
Finishes season with 19 rushing TDs

Cook rushed 13 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns while catching all three of his targets for 49 yards in Sunday's 32-29 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Cook gave the Bills a 10-7 lead with a six-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter and put Buffalo back in front, 22-21, by stretching the ball out for a one-yard touchdown on fourth down just before his knee went down in the third quarter. That turned out to be Buffalo's last lead of the season, as the Chiefs advanced to a third consecutive Super Bowl thanks to an 11-7 scoring edge in the fourth quarter while the Josh Allen-led Bills fell to 0-4 against Kansas City in the playoffs. Cook scored 19 rushing touchdowns in 19 games between the regular season and playoffs, so the second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft projects to be one of the most coveted running backs in fantasy football in 2025, which will be the final year of Cook's rookie contract.
Posts 82 scrimmage yards in win

Cook rushed 17 times for 67 yards and caught all three of his targets for 15 yards in Sunday's 27-25 AFC divisional-round win over the Ravens. Cook tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns in the regular season and added another touchdown on the ground in the wild-card round against the Broncos, but he didn't account for any of Buffalo's three rushing scores in the AFC divisional round. Ray Davis got the call for a one-yard touchdown on the opening drive, and Josh Allen tacked on two first-half touchdowns with his legs, but Cook easily led the team in rushing yards, as no teammate had more than 31. Cook also finished second on the team in receiving yards, so he was heavily involved despite failing to score. He'll continue to be a key cog in Buffalo's offense in the AFC Championship Game against Kansas City's stout run defense.
Romps over Denver in wild-card win

Cook carried the ball 23 times for 120 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 31-7 wild-card win over the Broncos. The third-year RB extended his touchdown streak to five games with a five-yard scamper early in the second quarter that put the Bills in the lead for good at 10-7. Cook erupted for 18 total TDs in the regular season, second in the NFL to Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs, and his role in the Buffalo offense is only going to grow in importance in the postseason. Cook faces a tougher matchup in the divisional round, however, as the Bills get ready to host a Ravens squad that allowed the fewest rushing yards per game and fewest yards per carry in the league in 2024.
Finds end zone again Sunday

Cook carried the ball 10 times for 28 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-16 loss to the Patriots. The Bills rested a lot of key players in Week 18 with the No. 2 seed in the AFC already locked up, but Cook merely saw his usual workload reduced, as he split touches in the backfield with Ray Davis. Cook still saw enough action to score his 16th rushing TD on a one-yard plunge in the third quarter, tying him with Derrick Henry and later Jahmyr Gibbs for the NFL lead, and he got just enough yardage to put him over 1,000 for the second straight season. Cook has gotten into the end zone in four straight games, a streak he'll look to continue next weekend in the wild-card round against the Broncos.
Scores 15th rushing TD

Cook rushed 15 times for 53 yards and a touchdown and wasn't targeted in Sunday's 40-14 win over the Jets. Cook's yardage plummeted after he rushed for at least 100 yards in three of the previous four games. He ran in a one-yard touchdown in the third quarter for his 15th rushing touchdown of the campaign. Cook may not get a chance to add to that total in Week 18 against the Patriots since Buffalo has locked in the No. 2 seed and could rest its starters.
Another excellent performance

Cook rushed the ball 11 times for 100 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Patriots. He added three receptions on three targets for 26 yards and an additional touchdown. Cook turned the game around for Buffalo by scoring consecutive touchdowns in the second and third quarters. The first came on an explosive 46-yard scamper through the middle of the New England defense while he broke through several arm tackles. He then caught a short, four-yard touchdown to tie the game. Despite being limited to around 15 touches per matchup, Cook has eclipsed 100 yards from scrimmage in three of four contests while finding the end zone a total of five times since Buffalo's Week 12 bye.
Eclipses century mark in wild win

Cook rushed 14 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns and brought in his only target for 28 yards in the Bills' 48-42 win over the Lions on Sunday. Cook got in on the fun of the Bills' second straight 40-plus-point barrage, crossing the goal line on the ground from six and 41 yards out in the second and third quarters, respectively. The third-year pro has two of his three 100-yard efforts on the season within the last three games, and his receiving yardage total Sunday was his highest since Week 3. Cook draws a highly favorable matchup against the Patriots at home in Week 16.