In Week 1, the story of the game for the Buffalo Bills was QB Josh Allen. The reigning NFL MVP led a sensational 15-point fourth-quarter comeback at home against the Ravens, securing the Bills a critical tiebreaker in the AFC playoff race. In the two games since, however, Buffalo’s best offensive player has been RB James Cook.
Against the Jets in Week 2, Cook had 132 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the way to a blowout win. Against the Dolphins in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football, Cook again exploded, going for 108 yards and a touchdown, gashing the Miami defense for chunk plays when the Bills needed them most.
Cook held out of training camp for a time as he wanted a new contract, and was eventually rewarded with a four-year, $48 million extension that made him one of the ten highest-paid running backs in football. On Friday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke with the media about the Dolphins game. One reporter asked him if Cook was still underpaid, based on his performances the last two weeks.
You can ask the guy…his first name begins with a ‘B’ and his last name begins with a ‘B,’ you can ask him upstairs,” McDermott said with a chuckle, referring to Bills general manager Brandon Beane. “From a coach’s lens, I understand why we extended James. I think he’s one of the better running backs in the NFL, and I’m always happy when players get rewarded for their hard work and their production. I want that for all of them, quite honestly.”
Buffalo Bills HC Sean McDermott on RB James Cook’s Improvement
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 19: James Cook #4 of the Buffalo Bills scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium on November 19, 2023 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
“I believe so. And that’s been James’s growth cycle, right?” McDermott said in response to a question on if Cook has continued to get better. “He loves football, he doesn’t like — at least in my mind, he doesn’t get into all this other stuff that is outside of football, or sometimes wants to try and populate the world of football. He’s about ball, and he loves to play football. I loved seeing him out there last night as one of our captains, and it’s just fun to watch guys develop, guys who love ball.”
Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady on What RB James Cook Brings to the Offense
“Yeah, I think you have to love how he’s running the football right now,” Brady said. “He had a couple yesterday that I’m sure he’d like back, you know. A couple shoestring [tackles] that you hope that if you can get the ball on a defensive back that it can be a big football play. I talk all about — I know it’s not necessarily anything that’s out of the ordinary, but understanding the way defenses are playing for the running back position. And then understanding who’s the guy I’m going to have to make miss and then when I get to that level, based off the combinations, running through whether it’s that safety or that linebacker that’s gonna be fighting over that combination block.”
“He’s playing so much stronger in the last couple of years, and he’s able to do that, and then you can feel the explosiveness once he gets through the hole and the vision and going. But I think he’s in a really good spot, and I know it’s tough when a guy gets — it’s human nature when a guy [gets] a contract and maybe you get a little comfortable. That’s not in his DNA, and if anything, I think he’s taken a step up in his game and it’s pretty fun to see.”
Bills Coach Sean McDermott Sounds Off on $48 Million RB James Cook