Bills running back James Cook gained recognition last season, but head coach Joe Brady isn’t committing to his carry count for this season.
“Can’t have mindset of how many carries he is going to have,” Brady said Tuesday on Cook’s carries for the upcoming season, via WGR 550 Sal Capaccio. “He played at such a high-level last year, but would love to have opportunities to get Ray Davis and Ty Johnson the ball.”
Cook had a Great 2025 Season
Cook played in 17 games last season, completing 309 attempts for 1,621 yards and 12 touchdowns. The 26-year-old running back led the league in rushing yards.
The Bills and Brady maximized Cook’s performance last season, and much of that may be attributed to his not being preoccupied with a contract situation. Heading into the previous offseason, Cook was entering the final year of his deal. He reported to training camp without a long-term contract in place and held in a few times. However, the Bills and Cook eventually agreed to a four-year, $48 million contract in mid-August last season.
While there was speculation that Cook could look to play elsewhere in 2026 before signing a contract, it didn’t seem like he ever wanted to leave Buffalo.
“It’s a great organization,” James Cook said earlier last offseason of why he wanted to be in Buffalo, via Bills.com’s Maddy Glab. “They drafted me. They drafted me for a reason, I feel like. And I’m willing to be here and spend my career here.”
Cook was able to set the contract talks aside and focus solely on playing football. Sometimes, players who aren’t locked into long-term contracts may hesitate for fear of injury. Getting the contract done with Cook early last season was significant for both him and the Bills, and now he can look to repeat that success this season.
Brady Should Look to Give More Carries to Davis and Johnson
Now that Brady is the head coach, not an offensive coordinator, he doesn’t have anyone to report to, and if he wants to reduce Cooks’ carries this season, he can.
Brady could look to get Davis and Johnson more touches this season. Davis is entering his third NFL season and recorded 58 rushes for 275 yards in 17 games last season. Meanwhile, Johnson had 50 carries for 200 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games last season.
The best thing for the Bills would be to limit Cooks’ workload. If Brady can reduce Cook’s carries by 50 to 75 this season, that means he could be fresh for the playoffs.
The Bills need to reach the playoffs first, but they have made it to the postseason the last seven years and have a top quarterback in Josh Allen. If he stays healthy, they could be back playing meaningful games next winter.
A fresh Cook could be what the Bills need to overcome their playoff struggles. If Buffalo can run Cook a few more times in the postseason and take some of the workload off of Allen, there’s a chance they can finally reach the Super Bowl with this group of players.
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