Buffalo Bills’ running back James Cook has really come into his own the past two seasons, and he’s made life a lot easier for quarterback Josh Allen—the reigning NFL MVP. The 2022 second-round pick is also about to take the field for his fourth NFL season, and the final year of his rookie contract.
Cook has put together back-to-back 1,000-yards rushing seasons for Sean McDermott’s team, and has also been a big part of the passing game. He’s played in a combined 33 regular-season games since 2023, and amassed 2,834 yards from scrimmage and 24 touchdowns—18 of those scores this past season. In Buffalo’s three playoff games in ’24, he added an additional 336 scrimmage yards and three TDs.
No doubt the Dallas Cowboys would love to acquire the two-time Pro Bowler, who is currently not participating in the team’s voluntary workouts and would like a new deal (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
James Cook is staying put in Orchard Park in 2025
Talk about a falloff? Only five teams in the league ran for fewer yards than the Cowboys this past season. In 2023, Dallas was a respectable 14th in the league in rushing. It’s odd that the club did have a 1,000-yard runner in 2024 in the form of Rico Dowdle, who’s now a member of the Carolina Panthers, and still managed just 100.3 yards per game on the ground.
There’s been speculation that Cook could be had, but on Tuesday Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane (in an interview with The Pat McAfee Show) made it clear that his talented running back isn’t going anywhere this season. “He will be here this year and hopefully beyond,” stated the Bills’ executive. “We love James and we would love nothing more than to keep him here longer term.”
This offseason, the Cowboys added running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders. Last week, they drafted Jaydon Blue (5-Texas) and Phil Mafah (7b-Clemson). Any hopes of the team adding the Bills’ playoff-tested performer this year appeared to be dashed.