James Cook III

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• Bills' James Cook: Held in check by Houston

  4D ago • By RotoWire

  Cook rushed 13 times for 57 yards and caught three of four targets for 12 yards in Sunday's 36-31 win over the Texans. Cook didn't find much room against Houston's stout front and took a back seat to Josh Allen, who had two rushing touchdowns and two touchdown passes. Allen's presence didn't stop Cook from rushing for a league-high 1,621 rushing yards during the 2025 regular season, so there should be better days ahead for Buffalo's shifty running back. Cook will have a short turnaround before Buffalo's home opener against the Lions on Thursday.

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• Bills' James Cook: Sits out preseason finale

  19D ago • By RotoWire

  Cook didn't play during Buffalo's exhibition win over Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Bills rested most of their projected regular-season starters, so Cook's absence was expected. The star running back finished the preseason slate having appeared in one game, logging 21 yards on five carries. Cook now will look ahead to Week 1, when he's slated to lead Buffalo's backfield against a tough Texans defense on Sunday, Sept. 13. Ray Davis is expected to work as his top backup.

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• Bills' James Cook: Quick start to preseason

  08/16/2026 • By RotoWire

  Cook carried the ball five times for 21 yards in Saturday's 29-14 preseason win over the Panthers. The reigning NFL rushing champ played the entire first quarter in the Bills' preseason opener, and Cook's longest gain was a 13-yard scamper that helped set up a Keon Coleman touchdown. Josh Allen remains the focal point of the offense, but Cook proved last season that he can rack up elite production as well, and the fifth-year RB could see more receiving work in 2026 as new offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael adds some wrinkles to Joe Brady's scheme.

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• Bills' James Cook: Could get more passing-game work

  08/11/2026 • By RotoWire

  Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael didn't rule out the possibility of Cook having more involvement as a pass catcher in 2026, Alex Brasky of SI.com reports. "Anytime you can get the ball in [Cook's] hands, you have an opportunity for a big play," Carmichael said Monday. "I think he can bring value not only in the run game but the pass game as well." Between 17 regular-season and two postseason contests in 2025, Cook took on 348 carries, handily surpassing his previous career high of 273 totes over 19 contests in 2023. The running back ended up leading the league in rushing with 1,621 yards, but head coach Joe Brady has already mentioned the possibility of taking some of that workload off the 26-year-old's plate. One way the Bills could limit the pounding Cook takes between the tackles without sacrificing his overall touches would be to increase his involvement in the passing game, where he's averaged 7.1 yards per target during his four-year career. Ty Johnson has carved out a role as a pass-catching specialist the past three seasons, but he exited Monday's practice with a knee issue. Cook may end up taking on more third-down snaps out of necessity if Johnson's injury lingers into the regular season.

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• Bills' James Cook: Heads into Year 5 with Bills

  07/14/2026 • By RotoWire

  During an appearance Tuesday on Good Morning Football, Cook indicated that he's noticed a renewed spirit under the guidance of new head coach Joe Brady during the team's offseason, Bobby Kownack of NFL.com reports. "It's just a new energy in the building," said Cook, who led the NFL last regular season with 1,621 rushing yards. "It's gonna always be like that, I feel like, when you have a new head coach coming in, a young one, too, at that. Joe [is] a young head coach coming in, his first year being a head coach. He's got new energy, that's how I feel like." While Cook didn't participate in any of the Bills' voluntary work open to the media earlier this offseason, he did participate in the team's mandatory minicamp and is poised to be full-go for training camp. Looking ahead, the 2022 second-rounder remains entrenched as the lead option in a Buffalo backfield that returns last year's top backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. In that context, Cook -- who logged 309 carries in 17 regular-season games in 2025 -- should continue to maintain steady volume and reliable fantasy lineup utility this coming season.

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