James Cook

Fantasy News

• Bills' James Cook: Four-year extension with Bills

  Rotowire Aug 13, 2025

  Cook and the Bills have reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension for the running back, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reports. Per the report, Cook's four-year pact is for $48 million and includes $30 million guaranteed. The 2022 second-rounder, who had returned to practice Tuesday following a four day 'hold-in' is thus a candidate to play against the Bears on Sunday after not seeing any action in the Bills' preseason opener this past Saturday. As the 2025 regular season approaches, Cook remains the clear leader of a Buffalo backfield that also includes Ray Davis and Ty Johnson.

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• Bills' James Cook: In line to practice Tuesday

  Rotowire Aug 12, 2025

  Cook is expected to practice Tuesday according to Bills head coach Sean McDermott, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports. Cook is seeking a contract extension and hasn't practiced in about a week as part of a "hold in" strategy. McDermott said Tuesday that "things have changed," leading to Cook's return to practice, and that "the information that we're getting is that he's moving in the right direction," per Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News. Those comments hint at positive developments in the contract negotiations, though McDermott cautioned that it's too soon to say the running back had ended his hold-in, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. Ray Davis and Ty Johnson have handled the majority of first-team reps during Cook's voluntary absence.

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• Bills' James Cook: No return to practice

  Rotowire Aug 7, 2025

  Cook (contract) isn't practicing Thursday, Alex Brasky of Bills Digest reports. Cook is out for a fourth straight practice, after making it clear over the weekend that he was sitting out (or "holding in") for "business" reasons. Bills coach Sean McDermott said Thursday morning that he expected Cook to practice, but the running back wasn't with his teammates when they went out on the field for the start of the session. Ray Davis and Ty Johnson will continue taking most of the first-team snaps in Cook's absence.

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• Bills' James Cook: Not practicing Monday

  Rotowire Aug 4, 2025

  Cook is present for Monday's practice but not in uniform as he seeks a new contract, Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News reports. He reported for June minicamp and the start of training camp before switching things up Sunday and seemingly moving to a "hold in" approach -- whereby he shows up to practice and meetings but doesn't do on-field work. When reporters asked him Sunday why he wasn't practicing, Cook simply said "business," a one-word answer that was also his response to the beat writers' other questions. In any case, his absence from practice frees up more first-team reps for Ray Davis and Ty Johnson.

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• Bills' James Cook: No practice for 'business' reasons

  Rotowire Aug 3, 2025

  Cook didn't practice Sunday and said that the reason was "business" when asked after the session, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports. Cook is seeking a contract extension, but he reported for training camp and had previously been participating in practice. The star running back worked out on an exercise bike Sunday but didn't take part in team drills, per Sal Capaccio of WGR Sports Radio 550 Buffalo. Cook's explanation for his lack of participation may suggest that he's planning to "hold in," meaning he could show up to practice but not actually take part while he remains without an extension. When Cook was asked Sunday if he'd return to practice Monday, his one-word answer was again "business."

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• Bills' James Cook: Practices fully Wednesday

  Rotowire Jul 23, 2025

  Cook participated fully in Wednesday's training camp practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports. Cook, who's seeking a new deal with the Bills, wasn't in attendance for voluntary workouts or OTAs in the early spring but was present for the team's mandatory minicamp last month, and he is now "ready to go" for training camp, per coach Sean McDermott, via Alec White of the Bills' official site. As the coming campaign approaches, Cook remains locked in as Buffalo's top back, with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson set to reprise their complementary roles in the team's backfield.

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• Bills' James Cook: Reporting for camp

  Rotowire Jul 22, 2025

  Cook (contract dispute) is reporting for the start of training camp but won't necessarily be a full participant, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Seeking an extension in the final year of his rookie contract, Cook stayed away from the Bills throughout OTAs before showing up for mandatory minicamp in mid-June. Reports back in June weren't optimistic about progress on an extension, but Pelissero notes that Cook still wants to stay in Buffalo. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network suggests Cook may end up "holding in," which would mean attending practices and meetings (and avoiding fines) but not actually practicing.

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• Bills' James Cook: Not at voluntary OTAs

  Rotowire May 27, 2025

  Cook wasn't present for Tuesday's voluntary organized team activities, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reports. While Cook isn't participating in the Bills' voluntary OTAs, coach Sean McDermott noted that he's remained in contact with the running back, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal and seeking a contract extension. "Yeah, we're staying in touch, like you'd expect a player and a coach to do," McDermott said of the 2022 second-rounder. "So, James will be here when he's ready to be here and we move forward." While it remains to be seen whether Cook will be on the field for the team's mandatory minicamp (June 10-12), GM Brandon Beane maintains that he expects Buffalo's leading rusher to be ready to go for the 2025 season. Assuming that's the case, Cook will continue to lead a backfield that returns his top two backups from last season, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson.

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• Bills' James Cook: Wants extension, more playing time

  Rotowire Feb 21, 2025

  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.

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• Bills' James Cook: Romps over Denver in wild-card win

  Rotowire Jan 12, 2025

  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.

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• Bills' James Cook: Finds end zone again Sunday

  Rotowire Jan 5, 2025

  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.

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• Bills' James Cook: Scores 15th rushing TD

  Rotowire Dec 29, 2024

  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.

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• Bills' James Cook: Scoring offsets inefficiency Sunday

  Rotowire Nov 17, 2024

  Cook rushed nine times for 20 yards and two touchdowns while recording five receptions on six targets for seven yards in Sunday's 30-21 win over the Chiefs. Cook struggled on the ground against the interior of the Chiefs' defense, as many talented backs have against the third-ranked rushing defense this season. However, the 25-year-old made an impact in the box score by finishing off a pair of lengthy offensive drives in the first half with short trips to the end zone. It was the Georgia product's worst yardage output of the season but not his worst fantasy showing. Cook has generated 751 yards from scrimmage with 11 combined touchdowns in 10 starts as the Bills enter a bye week before hosting the 49ers on Dec. 1.

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• Bills' James Cook: Gets 15 touches in Week 9 win

  Rotowire Nov 3, 2024

  Cook rushed 10 times for 44 yards and caught five of six targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 30-27 win over the Dolphins. Cook got 10 of the 17 rushing attempts among Buffalo's running backs, but backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson were both more efficient in terms of yards per carry, and Davis had a 63-yard receiving touchdown. Cook has been feast or famine on the ground, with four games of at least 71 rushing yards and four games of 32 or fewer heading into Week 10 against the Colts. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season after scoring only four times on the ground across the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons combined.

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• Bills' James Cook: Monster game Sunday

  Rotowire Oct 27, 2024

  Cook rushed 17 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns while adding 22 yards on three receptions in Sunday's 31-10 win over the Seahawks. Cook was the star on offense in a one-sided affair Sunday, running roughshod over Seattle's porous rushing defense en route to two scores. The 24-year-old had already scored twice in a game this season, but this was his first 100-plus-yard rushing contest in 2024. Cook has now produced a combined 597 yards from scrimmage with eight total touchdowns through seven games, making him an elite fantasy tailback heading into next Sunday's tilt against Miami.

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• Bills' James Cook: Limited to 32 yards

  Rotowire Oct 20, 2024

  Cook rushed the ball 12 times for 32 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-10 win over the Titans. He was not targeted. Cook returned from a one-game absence and retook the lead-back role in Buffalo's backfield, accounting for 12 of 17 carries by running backs. His efficiency was a more significant reason for concern, as his longest gain went for 11 yards while seven of his attempts went for two yards or fewer. Even more of a problem for Cook was his lack of involvement in the passing game, as he went without both a target and a reception in a game for the first time this season.

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• Bills' James Cook: Practices fully Thursday

  Rotowire Oct 17, 2024

  Cook (toe) practiced fully Thursday. After being listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's walkthrough, Cook worked fully a day later, which sets the stage for him to reclaim his lead role in the Bills backfield Sunday against the Titans. In Cook's absence in this past Monday's 23-20 win over the Jets, Ray Davis -- who was limited by a calf injury Thursday -- carried 20 times for 97 yards and caught all three of his targets for 55 yards. If Davis is available this weekend, he'll be in line to move back to a complementary role behind Cook in an RB room that also includes Ty Johnson.

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• Bills' James Cook: Participating in walk-through

  Rotowire Oct 16, 2024

  Cook (toe) will participate in Wednesday's walk-through session, but head coach Sean McDermott said Thursday's practice will provide a better barometer for the running back's health, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News reports. McDermott previously said Tuesday that he was optimistic about Cook being ready for Sunday's game against the Titans. Cook missed Monday's 23-20 win over the Jets, opening the door for rookie Ray Davis to take 23 touches for 152 yards while handling a 58 percent snap share.

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• Bills' James Cook: Coach hoping for Week 7 return

  Rotowire Oct 15, 2024

  Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday that he's optimistic Cook (toe) will be available to play Sunday against the Titans, Matt Parrino of The Syracuse Post-Standard reports. Though Cook was listed as questionable heading into Monday's game against the Jets, reports leading up to the contest suggested he was on track to play. However, Cook didn't make enough progress in his recovery from a toe injury and ended up on the inactive list for the first time all season, with the Bills turning to rookie Ray Davis and veteran Ty Johnson to fill the backfield in a 23-20 win. Davis (20 carries for 97 yards, three receptions for 55 yards) was impressive in his first extended NFL action to date, and his big performance could prompt the Bills to take a cautious approach with Cook during practice this week. McDermott indicated that a decision on Cook's status may not be made until closer to game day, per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News.

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• Bills' James Cook: Inactive versus Jets

  Rotowire Oct 14, 2024

  Cook (toe) is inactive for Monday night's game against the Jets. After being deemed a non-participant in Thursday's practice and Friday's walkthrough, Cook logged a limited session Saturday before being listed as questionable for the contest. With Cook having been made inactive by the Bills on Monday, look for Ty Johnson and Ray Davis to lead the team's Week 6 backfield, with practice-squad elevation Frank Gore also on hand to provide depth.

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