James Cook is getting paid and played like a top back – but should he?
The Buffalo Bills prepare to host the New Orleans Saints in Week 4 on Sunday.
Having had 10 days of rest and no travel since their Week 3 win over the Miami Dolphins in Buffalo – the Bills should be raring to go.
On the other side of the ball, the Saints got blown out 44-13 in Seattle just last Sunday – I am sure that was a long flight home across the US for them, before they hopped on another flight up to the state of New York.
The Bills appear to be rolling, with James Cook looking every bit the player we wanted when we renewed him this summer.
Riddle me this – are we indulging in James Cook a bit too much or a bit too early?
Pay the Cook
This offseason, the Bills finally agreed to terms with star running back James Cook on a 4-year, $46 million deal ($28.82 million guaranteed).
That is an annual average value (AAV) of $11.5 million per year.
In my piece on the HuddleUK website in June, prior to this pact being agreed, I felt $13 million per year was a reasonable level for James Cook.
The Bills were more generous in guarantees in order to help bring the overall cap hit and value down slightly. Great job done by all involved.
This deal places James Cook seventh on the list of highest paid RBs (based on AAV) – behind the likes of Josh Jacobs and Alvin Kamara but ahead of Kyren Williams and Aaron Jones.
It all feels about right.
Cook through thoroughly
Something that has gone under the radar – James Cook held IN this summer. Meaning he didn’t miss out on quality practice time with the 1st team and he could start the season ready to go and fully up to speed within the offense.
And boy has he started strongly.
James Cook sits second in the NFL rushing yards table with 284 after 3 weeks. Only Jonathan Taylors incredible start to the season has topped that.
Cook also has four touchdowns already.
Including the playoffs, that is now 23 touchdowns since the start of last season (23 starts out of 24 games). He has only been held out of the end zone in five of those games.
Basically, whatever the odds are on a James Cook touchdown, feel good about them.
In 2024 he only eclipsed 100 rushing yards in a game four times – he heated up over the course of the season, with three of those coming in week 13 or later.
So far in 2025, he has two games already with more than 100 rushing yards in each.
He keeps getting better. A large part of that is down to the wisdom of him, his team and the Buffalo Bills hierarchy to maintain communication and keep him in the building for training camp as much as possible.
Too much of a good thing?
So far this season, James Cook has touched the ball 62 times in three games. At this point in 2024, it was only 49 times.
Here’s a list of Cooks touches throughout his NFL career:
2022 – 110 touches for 687 yards.
2023 – 281 touches for 1,567 yards.
2024 – 239 touches for 1,267 yards.
2025 – 62 touches for 355 yards.
What does 2025 project as? 372 touches for 2,130 yards from scrimmage. A historic amount for a Buffalo Bill.
Since the 1970 merger, only Thurman Thomas’ 403 touches in 1993 and O.J. Simpson’s 2243 yards from scrimmage in 1975 would survive in the Bills history books if James Cook continues at this pace.
How about against the rest of the league? Well, Saquon Barkley achieved 2,283 yards off 378 touches in 2024 so James Cook would be in that territory. Madden27 cover here we come.
What does the rest of the season look like?
Needless to say, this cannot continue. Can it?
James Cook is 5’11”, 190lbs. He is not a big bruiser of a back.
There are not many categories I would physically beat James Cook in but I am taller and I am heavier, though perhaps not in the healthiest of ways.
I am sure his body would hold up better than mine under the duress of a potential 372 touch workload – but we would both be expected to be banged up as a result of it. I, for one, bruise at an astonishing efficiency.
Since 2000, there have been five running backs who have touched the ball more than 372 times in a season.
Two of them are Derrick Henry, whose 6’2″, 252lbs frame causes more damage than it receives.
Josh Jacobs, Najee Harris and Saquon Barkley have all also achieved that feat – and each of them are between 30 to 50lbs heavier than James Cook.
Simply put, I have my doubts that Cooks body would survive the full season with this workload.
Ray of hope
Who could pick up the slack then?
Ray Davis should be that guy. He’s only 5’8″ but he is 220lbs – a much more durable and stocky back.
He did lose some weight during the offseason to become a more effective player in the passing game but he should still feature in that 1-2 punch.
The issue is he has not been getting the touches.
With only 11 touches through three games, it is nowhere near enough.
Last season, Ray Davis had 130 touches over the course of the year (7.2/game) so he is on for roughly half that number in 2025. That will not help James Cook stay healthy.
The other back is Ty Johnson, the trusty 3rd down pass-catching back. He is on track for the same workload as last year (59 touches in 2024), but it is not the same sort of contact.
Getting hit by a cornerback or safety in the open field is not the same as running into linebackers and defensive linemen head-first.
What do I want to see this week?
A Bills win, of course.
But I would also love to see 10 touches for Ray Davis. Particularly if the Bills get up big, I want James Cook’s day to be done and Ray Davis to come in and see the game out.
If James Cook did set some single-season records for the Buffalo Bills, I am sure I would remember it fondly.
I would, however, remember the Bills winning a Super Bowl far more fondly. For that to happen, we need Cook fresh and fit in January when it matters most.
Week 4 pre-season prediction: WIN
This should be one-sided. I would be amazed if Josh Allen is still in the game in the 4th quarter. This is the NFL though so I had better not get complacent.
