Buffalo Bills running back James Cook went racing through the snow in his club’s Week 13 thrashing of the San Francisco 49ers, rushing for 107 yards and one touchdown on 14 attempts to bear the load for the team in a game that relied heavily on the rushing assault.
Roughly two feet of snow had fallen atop Highmark Stadium ahead of Sunday night’s clash, and both teams, thus, opted to lean on the ground game. Though Buffalo got all of its rushers involved in the 35-10 win, it was Cook who shined brightest, his career-long 65-yard touchdown in the second quarter setting the tone for the remainder of the game. He averaged a whopping 7.6 yards per carry in the victory, setting a new season-high in the stat as he topped 100
It was just the latest in Cook’s spectacular third professional season, as he has already scored 12 touchdowns this year, doubling his previous career high. He’s one of the NFL’s best running backs, and it’s only a matter of time before the 25-year-old is compensated for it; his brother, four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, is among those who believe Buffalo should pay Cook sooner rather than later, taking to X during Sunday night’s game to urge the Bills to extend his brother’s contract.
Cook, a second-round choice in the 2022 NFL Draft, is now in the third year of his rookie contract, which means he will have another year left after the 2024 season. He could theoretically earn a contract as early as next spring, with the structure ensuring that his 2025 cap hit (currently set at $1.8 million) is not drastically (if at all) adjusted.
However, Buffalo’s Week 13 victory demonstrated Cook’s excellence as well as the team’s two talented backs, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson (who averaged 5.7 and 5.6 yards per carry, respectively). Cook is unquestionably the team’s most prolific rusher, but with players like Greg Rousseau, Christian Benford, and Khalil Shakir also in line for extensions in the near future, it’s unclear where a potential Cook deal ranks on the Bills’ priority list.
Fortunately, Cook’s contract does not appear to be causing any problems in the near future, as he still has a year left on his rookie deal. However, one can understand why his brother, who was once one of the NFL’s highest-paid running backs, is vying for him to receive significant compensation sooner rather than later.
About The Author
