The star of the Buffalo Bills is clearly Josh Allen and it isn’t even close. However, all stars need some sort of assistance to help them be successful. Ever since Allen was drafted by the Bills, the rushing attack for the Buffalo has basically been through him up until Brandon Beane made the right move to draft Georgia running back James Cook in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Cook shared time with Devin Singletary in 2022 but showed signs of promise in his first season. In 2023, Cook took over the starting duties and became the first Bill since LeSean McCoy to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. However, his touchdown numbers weren’t impressive. Sure, he had four touchdowns through the air but he only had two on the ground.
Fast forward to this season and Cook established himself as one of the top backs in the league. In addition to getting back-to-back 1,000+ rushing yard seasons, he ran for 16 touchdowns and caught two through the air. He finished the regular season averaging 4.9 yards per carry, making him the true running game for the Bills.
This past Sunday, James Cook yet again showed just how valuable he is to this Buffalo offense. Against a tough Denver defense, Cook ran all over the Broncos, rushing for 120 yards and he scored Buffalo’s first touchdown of the game.
James Cook set himself up for a nice payday, whether it’s from Bills or somewhere else
The running back market up until last offseason was horrendous. Running backs weren’t getting paid like they used to be and they were devalued. With the help of guys like Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs (all who signed new deals this past year), this opens up the running back market for Cook who is set to be a free agent after the 2025 season.
One of Cook’s biggest supporters in working hard to get a lot of money is none other than his older brother, Dalvin Cook. Ever since Cook was snubbed of the Pro Bowl, Dalvin has been talking about focusing on his little brother getting paid.Then after James found the endzone for the Bills yesterday, Dalvin quoted the Bills’ post by saying “$20 / year (money bag emoji).
$20M / year 💰 https://t.co/AkJJQdn8TB
— Dalvin “4️⃣” Cook (@dalvincook) January 12, 2025
The Bills got an absolute steal in Cook when they drafted him and he is proving to the Bills and the rest of the NFL that he deserves a nice-sized contract. Whether it’s from Buffalo or somewhere else, Cook will cash in. However, the Bills would be heavily criticized to not atleast offer Cook a solid deal that brings back to Buffalo long-term.