Last year, the Buffalo Bills boasted the league’s best rushing attack, amassing 2,714 yards on the ground to go with 30 rushing touchdowns. Buffalo’s backfield was led by James Cook, who would go on to claim the league’s rushing title (rushing 309 times for 1,621 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season).
What will Cook do for an encore in Joe Brady’s first season as head coach?
Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks leads off by examining the state of Buffalo’s running backs, including whether
Brady will dial up more pass plays for Cook and Buffalo’s tailbacks this year.
Check out the assessments and then be sure to leave your thoughts on the state of the Bills running backs heading into the season.
Will the Bills dial up more passes to their backs?
The Bills backfield consists of reigning NFL rushing champion James Cook, along with Ty Johnson, Ray Davis, Frank Gore Jr., and former United Football League champion Ian Wheeler.
Last year, the Bills ran the ball on 49.84% of plays, the second-highest rate of all teams. And no team ran the ball more on first down than Buffalo, which, led by Cook, posted 38 carries of 10-plus yards on first down last season. But this year, it seems like changes are likely in Buffalo’s offensive game plan, which could mean a healthy dose of passes from Josh Allen to Cook and Johnson coming out of the backfield.
We explore why Joe Brady should call more pass plays for Buffalo’s talented stable of running backs; speculate why the Bills would be wise to manage Cook’s workload to keep him fresh for the team’s potential run to a Super Bowl; hear why Cook is Buffalo’s second-most important player heading into this pivotal season; and figure out which backs will make the 53-man roster and which players are cut candidates.
- Bills position preview: Why Buffalo’s running backs may catch more passes in 2026 – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- The Bills found their workhorse and that could be an issue – Democrat & Chronicle
- Capaccio: 2026 State of the Bills: Running back and fullback – WGR 550
- Why RB James Cook Is Second-Most Important Player to Bills’ 2026 Success – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- Bills James Cook: ‘It’s on Us’ to Get Over Super Bowl Hump – NFL.com
- Bills Running Backs on the Roster Bubble vs. Roster Locks – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
Even more Bills news
Discussing which Bills are under the most pressure to perform at training camp, a group led by wide receiver Keon Coleman (pictured below). Plus, exploring which former and current Bills players could be bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame; dissecting Buffalo’s salary cap situation heading into training camp; and more!
- 10 Buffalo Bills’ Players Most Under The Microscope Heading Into NFL Training Camp – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- NFL players with the most on the line in 2026: One from every team – The Athletic (subscription required)
- Bills Mailbag: Which former (and current) Bills are bound for the Hall of Fame? – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Bills Have Some Wiggle Room With Current Salary Cap Situation Entering Camp – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- Stadium may be almost done, but the Bills campus is busier than ever – Buffalo News (subscription required)
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- What role will Jordan Hancock assume on Bills defense in 2026? – Buffalo Rumblings
- Why Skyler Bell could open up Bills offense – Buffalo Rumblings
- Bills Mafia confident in Keon Coleman for 2026 season – Buffalo Rumblings
- Can you guess this Bills fullback in today’s in-5 trivia game – Buffalo Rumblings
